# Gemini Lights TITAN LED and XERA LED (2012)



## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Greetings from Gemini Lights,

Due to an incoming large number of CREE XM-L units in prep for 2012, we've upgraded our TITAN LED to the XM-L. The SSC-P7 version will still be available for a limited time as we have few remaining stock left. The new beam pattern remains relatively the same with a smoother transition between hotspot and spill.

Please note there hasn't been any change in prices.

We're also bringing you a new helmet light called XERA. It's minimal, light weight and aims to be a contender against the wonderful Piko. We've used Lupine's light as the benchmark for quality and performance. For those who love adjustments, XERA is fully programmable in the 4 modes given.

XERA is available from September 25th onwards.


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## randyharris (Jul 1, 2009)

Would be nice to see a few pictures of the Xera.

How does the new Titan XML perform compared to the P7 version. And is the beam spot, flood, or something in between.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Randy,

Pictures of XERA will be available in a few days and they will be up on our website as well as here.

The new TITAN XM-L performs better than the P7-D. There is about a 23% increase in brightness and maintains the same runtime of 4hrs 10 mins on High. The beam pattern has an intense hotspot at 12° beam angle with soft edges. Outside of the hotspot has a very even light spill. I do think pictures are worth more than words, so I will include beam shots of the TITAN and XERA too.


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

Gemini Lights said:


> Randy,
> 
> Pictures of XERA will be available in a few days and they will be up on our website as well as here.
> 
> The new TITAN XM-L performs better than the P7-D. There is about a 23% increase in brightness and maintains the same runtime of 4hrs 10 mins on High. The beam pattern has an intense hotspot at 12° beam angle with soft edges. Outside of the hotspot has a very even light spill. I do think pictures are worth more than words, so I will include beam shots of the TITAN and XERA too.


Okay, sounds promising.. Can't wait to see what this *XERA* looks like. The fact that it is using XM-L emitters and offering different mode options is most interesting. If it has a compact form factor it could be a big seller. My trigger finger is now set on pause. 

I'm also glad to see that you aren't getting rid of the *Titan P-7 D's*. While I'm sure the new *Titan XM-L version is brighter*, the narrow beam pattern might not be everyone's cup of tea. I still feel the P-7 versions offer a better over-all beam pattern for bar use. Since the Titans were using the D-bin they looked to be much brighter than the standard MS light heads.

Anyway, the fact that the new XM-L version is even brighter than your benchmark P-7 D's, ...well....you're likely to sell a bunch of those I'm sure. Especially when you consider that they are standard with *4 modes ( 3 steady state ) *and that you are still selling these with your *5200 mAh battery*. For people who weren't around last year, the Titan battery was dissected and tested by one of the forum posters ( *Baker* I believe ) and was found to be of very high quality. ( *Please note , I have no relationship with Gemini and I don't own any of their light sets...yet.  ).


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> We're also bringing you a new helmet light called XERA. It's minimal, light weight and aims to be a contender against the wonderful Piko. We've used Lupine's light as the benchmark for quality and performance. For those who love adjustments, XERA is fully programmable in the 4 modes given.
> 
> XERA is available from September 25th onwards.


Is this a single XML light? And does it use a reflector or a lens?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

*New XERA LED Light System*



Cat-man-do said:


> My trigger finger is now set on pause.  ...


Haha, that made me laugh a little... do you *need* another light already? Well I guess night riding season is coming soon, so you're forgiven.

As promised.. here are pictures of the new XERA. We haven't even put them up on our website yet.

@Langen, it is a single XM-L in a very small package fitted with a custom lens we made. Beam angle is 18° and the pattern is absolutely beautiful. We will get pictures of the XERA helmet mounted and bar mounted tomorrow or the day after.

Link to XERA's page.

Enjoy.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

To get a better picture on size, here is a crude shot. And please... excuse the *awesome purple color.*










And a rough idea on weight.


















There you have it!


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

Gemini Lights said:


> Haha, that made me laugh a little... *do you need another light already? *Well I guess night riding season is coming soon, so you're forgiven.
> 
> As promised.. here are pictures of the new XERA. We haven't even put them up on our website yet.
> 
> ...


Does a junkie need more crack?...... 

Looks like the *XERA* is using an optic. I find this interesting but I'm a bit skeptical because the photos show the outer lens on the optic is designed for dispersion, hence the claimed 18 degree beam pattern angle. Now if this had been designed for bar use I would be all for it but anything using a full dispersion optic or lens will have diminished throw. Not exactly what you want for a helmet lamp. I have a feeling the *useful throw* on trails will be limited to about 75-100ft... but I do hope I'm wrong about that.

Just to let you know, I already use a couple XM-L powered helmet lights that have beam patterns that are wider than I would normally like to use. ( very hard to find tight optics for the XML ) -> (...which is why I am always looking for something better. ) Admittedly they do very well in lighting up the trail but there are times I could wish for a more narrow beam pattern ( on the helmet ) to increase throw especially in conditions that are more wet.

Anyway, I'm not dissing your product. I hope it rocks. Hopefully these will be available as "light head only" for people who already have batteries and mounts ( as price is a bit [email protected] $150). Now if the XERA can out throw my Geoman MS808E (XM-L) lamp head ( $55...lamp head only ) I will most certainly tip my hat to the Gemini XERA designers.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> To get a better picture on size, here is a crude shot. And please... excuse the *awesome purple color.*


Is this the Xera also? Does it mean you can have it in both a lens and a reflector version?? A reflector version would be kick-ass!


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

*Beamshots*

@Langen

Yes it is also XERA, donning a purple color. We developed a reflector but decided to use the custom optics because it created the best usable beam pattern. We didn't really prefer the huge wide spill that reflectors give, and we found it was a waste of light. In the beam shots below, you can see that the reflectors in the first two pictures *have lots of spill*. The outermost halo ends far beyond the frame's edges, almost at 80°. You may also compare how our logo looks on each image.

Beam shots as requested, managed in a convenient GIF for you..

Points go to people who can guess what each silhouette of light is. 










Any more requests or queries, please forward them my way. I would be happy to answer your thoughts. :thumbsup:

Chris


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

Gemini Lights said:


> Points go to people who can guess what each silhouette of light is.
> 
> ....Any more requests or queries, please forward them my way. I would be happy to answer your thoughts. :thumbsup:
> 
> Chris


After the squarish ( Piko?).....old Titan P-7.... newTitan XM-L.... new XERA

Will any of these be available as "light head only"?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

You're almost correct. Our beam chart participants:

1) Magicshine MJ-808 P7
2) TITAN XM-L
3) XERA
4) Lupine Piko 3 (550 lumens)

I'll adjust the pictures with names.

Yes, the XERA will be available as a light head only option and the TITAN XM-L is available now.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

*Your TITAN XML is very smooth and that XERA is insane smokes that Piko. I just might have to try that one out. are you ever going to get a US distributor so we don't get hammered on shipping thats the only thing that sours me on it. $22 bucks to ship to California ouch.*


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## randyharris (Jul 1, 2009)

Rakuman said:


> *Your TITAN XML is very smooth and that XERA is insane smokes that Piko. I just might have to try that one out. are you ever going to get a US distributor so we don't get hammered on shipping thats the only thing that sours me on it. $22 bucks to ship to California ouch.*


Would be nice to see it compared to the 750 Piko. And ditto the shipping fee.


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

Rakuman said:


> *Your TITAN XML is very smooth and that XERA is insane smokes that Piko. I just might have to try that one out. are you ever going to get a US distributor so we don't get hammered on shipping that the only thing that sours me on it. $22 bucks to ship to California ouch.*


The *XERA* does look like a nice little light. *Rakuman*, if you get one let me know how it compares to the 808E. The wall shot is impressive but than again these are wall shots. Can't judge throw or over-all beam pattern with wall shots. Still, with that optic most of the light is condensed and forward throwing. It would be real interesting to see how this type of beam pattern looks on actual outdoor terrain. ( hint, hint ) 

*A few more questions for Gemini:*
Run time for the XERA is listed at 2.5hrs. Is this on high with the 2-cell battery or 4?
Is there a discount for pre-orders?
How much for the light head only?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Rakuman said:


> *Your TITAN XML is very smooth and that XERA is insane smokes that Piko. I just might have to try that one out. are you ever going to get a US distributor so we don't get hammered on shipping thats the only thing that sours me on it. $22 bucks to ship to California ouch.*


Thanks very much for the comments. We've worked really hard on these lights and its nice to receive feedback like this.

We _are_ currently working on US distribution. I am a regular consumer, so I understand your point of view on shipping. Our DHL shipping service is partly subsidized and what you see is basically the best rates they have given us minus a buck or two. We have integrated the free shipping option when you purchase over $299, so I highly recommend rider groups or friends buy together.

What I'm most excited about, and can't really show you... is the programming we've done to our driver boards. It's truly amazing. Very self intuitive, I would almost place bets that everyone of you will be able to figure out how to use it without reading the user manual (that includes, going into programming mode, adjusting the brightness and mode sequence, flash mode and factory reset function). It's one button, really simple and so effective.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Cat-man-do said:


> The *XERA*
> 
> *A few more questions for Gemini:*
> Run time for the XERA is listed at 2.5hrs. Is this on high with the 2-cell battery or 4?
> ...


*2 cell pack*. A 2.5 hour burner with 4 cells would be seriously inefficient, and we'd have to go back to the drawing board! :thumbsup: But thanks for pointing that out. I will clarify the product specifications.

*Discount for pre-orders? So you mean a discount on a discounted product?*

Well, we can do free shipping for pre-orders on XERA. (Since shipping is such a hot topic!) 

And I think you should get a rep point from everyone who gets this deal now.

Light head will only be available after the 25th.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> @Langen
> 
> Yes it is also XERA, donning a purple color. We developed a reflector but decided to use the custom optics because it created the best usable beam pattern. We didn't really prefer the huge wide spill that reflectors give, and we found it was a waste of light.


I prefer reflectors over lenses myself - I guess it's a "some like the mother, and others like the daughter"-kinda thing 

Would it be possible to sell the reflector as a loose item, and let the user swap between the lens and the reflector? Or was the reflector beam pattern really that bad?

edit: A beam pattern along the lines of Magicshine or (even better) Titan would be very good in my book.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

langen said:


> I prefer reflectors over lenses myself - I guess it's a "some like the mother, and others like the daughter"-kinda thing
> 
> Would it be possible to sell the reflector as a loose item, and let the user swap between the lens and the reflector? Or was the reflector beam pattern really that bad?


Best analogy ever. Where do you go for your stand-up!

We're still tweaking the reflector design and it may be available in the future as an accessory. It depends on the outcome of the beam pattern. To best describe the pattern we had, we noted lots of spillage and a very, very intense tight spot with little fade transition around it.


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## jwolfe0815 (Apr 12, 2009)

Gemini Lights said:


> *2 cell pack*. A 2.5 hour burner with 4 cells would be seriously inefficient, and we'd have to go back to the drawing board! :thumbsup: But thanks for pointing that out. I will clarify the product specifications.
> 
> *Discount for pre-orders? So you mean a discount on a discounted product?*
> 
> ...


What about a discount for picking up in person? :thumbsup:


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> We're still tweaking the reflector design and it may be available in the future as an accessory. It depends on the outcome of the beam pattern. To best describe the pattern we had, we noted lots of spillage and a very, very intense tight spot with little fade transition around it.


I agree that the pattern you describe does not sound very usable for biking.. Hope you manage to tweak into something useful though!

I am *this* close from pulling the trigger on the Xera..

edit: One more thing: I really think you should include dimensions and weigth for the lighthead on your website. I think this is a really strong selling point for the Xera :thumbsup:


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

langen said:


> I agree that the pattern you describe does not sound very usable for biking.. Hope you manage to tweak into something useful though!
> 
> I am *this* close from pulling the trigger on the Xera..
> 
> edit: One more thing: I really think you should include dimensions and weigth for the lighthead on your website. I think this is a really strong selling point for the Xera :thumbsup:


We are hoping as well. We understand that different users have different tastes, and that it may even work better in some applications. We like flexibility and choices.

And thanks for the suggestion.

I can't believe I forgot to mention.. and I think its definitely something I should've done. Gemini Lights has a *14 day trial period* by default. Go read about it in our FAQ! If you change your mind in the 2 weeks of receiving it, send it back to us and we refund you the total amount including our DHL courier fee. You only risk paying one way return fees to us and you can use the cheapest method. And if you haven't already, you might want to read about our company too. Get to know us.


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## Aussie LuvR (Nov 17, 2010)

*Gemini*

Regard the Xera, any thoughts to providing a tinted lens in red or green. Looks like the Xera would make a great head/helmet type light for hunters. Just need either a red or green beam for entering the woods in the wee morning hours.


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## Aussie LuvR (Nov 17, 2010)

Also.....the Xera would make a great tail light for night time road riding. So again a red lens would be great.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

randyharris said:


> Would be nice to see it compared to the 750 Piko. And ditto the shipping fee.


Yes, I'd also (really) like to see it compared to the 750 piko which would be more fair than the 550 version.

The Piko is more than twice the price but I need a light reliable headlamp for night trail running, XC skiing, snowshowing and hiking and the Piko is proven. XERA is very light with nice beam spread for my purposes besides mtn. biking, good price so this is tough choice.

Also compared to the Magic Shine 808E XM-L would be nice

Kind of concerned also you're taking pre orders and still working out the final optic setups. Nice offer on the free shipping though.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

skidad said:


> Yes, I'd also (really) like to see it compared to the 750 piko which would be more fair than the 550 version.
> 
> The Piko is more than twice the price but I need a light reliable headlamp for night trail running, XC skiing, snowshowing and hiking and the Piko is proven. XERA is very light with nice beam spread for my purposes besides mtn. biking, good price so this is tough choice.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments. We also think a comparison with the Lupine Piko 750 would be a more fitting. It is something we're extremely curious about, but we can only work with what we have. To be honest, we love the Piko.. be it 550 or 750. The Piko 550 shown is my personal light. We just want to give an alternative to people and at a much better price point.

XERA optics are completed and as seen in pictures. It's the prototype reflector we were just discussing that is still in development. We opted for the optics instead. I hope this clarifies a few things.

@Aussie LuvR
Thanks for the suggestions. We may look into that arena.


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## Tyler5 (Sep 16, 2011)

How would we take advantage of the free shipping offer on a pre-order? Thanks for offering that up.

I assume shipping date would be September 25?


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

That's for the beamshots, but rather than a close up I would like to see a distance more applicable to actual riding at night. Is it possible to get some shots with the same lights with distance markers at increments of 5m? I currently have a geoman MJ808 for the helmet, but the Xera looks like a perfect bar light based on the amount of flood and spill.

Oh, and you guys are doing good work improving and already great product. A riding buddy has the older Gemini Titan and it's a solid light. I'm glad to see you're innovating and setting yourselves apart from the competition.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

interested in the XERA.I added to the cart and the shipping still shows $22 for me.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

anekin007 said:


> interested in the XERA.I added to the cart and the shipping still shows $22 for me.


Sorry anekin007. The promo was only decided last night. Give us a moment to update.. (i.e few minutes.) 

Edit: Alright, you have the green light. Free Shipping on XERA is enabled until the 25th.

I had a customer just ask me a question about the head belt and extension cable.
The XERA LED Light System includes the *bar, helmet, head belt mounts and extension cable*. There is nothing left out. You can take it with you to do many more things than just cycling.

*As requested... your outdoor shots.* Taken with a Canon DSLR: ISO 100, Daylight, F4 and 6 seconds exposure.










Points to look at and consider..
*Light spill. Look at the bush, up close and bottom right.* (Do you have tunnel vision?)
*The beam angle FWHM.* (Where does the light intensity end, moving sideways from the hotspot center? Do you see a spot?)
*And of course, throw.* (Look down the end of the path. Is there enough front path lighting for high speeds?)
Wide beam angle and a far throw are inversely proportional. You can find a sweet spot with good balance. Most of all, think about where you actually want your light to shine, so that you may ride most comfortably.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Just wow


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

Gemini Lights said:


> *2 cell pack*. A 2.5 hour burner with 4 cells would be seriously inefficient, and we'd have to go back to the drawing board! :thumbsup: But thanks for pointing that out. I will clarify the product specifications.
> 
> *Discount for pre-orders? So you mean a discount on a discounted product?*
> 
> ...


Yes, by all means...

Wow! 2.5 hrs on a 2-cell!  I almost don't believe you!  That's not bad run time for a battery that small.

The more I look at the *XERA *the more I like it on several levels. *One*, it is smaller than other XM-L lights, *TWO*...it has the mult-mode menu which could be most useful. *Three*..the new optic which intrigues me. A reflector might offer more throw but since you might offer one in the future that also has me thinking.

I really don't need another light right now but my trigger finger is twitching almost uncontrollably. Now my hands are shaking....little voices in my head are saying, "You KNOW you want it"! I'm in deep doo-doo now. ( "Hello Paypal",.* wipes sweat from brow* " I want to place an order....*hurry, I ain't got all day!!!* ) :lol:


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

I'll tell ya what, those beam shots are impressive ! I have an MJ-808, and if the XERA is actually that much brighter, and full, it's worth considering.

That much light, with all the extras included (bar & helmet mounts, headband, extension cable), and the extra features (programmable) and with the current free shipping deal, definitely worth considering.

The only thing that puts me off are the battery and accessory prices on their site. If I bought this light and ever needed another battery or an accessory down the line, I would be looking elsewhere for those things for sure ($17.99 for a Y cable? Come on!).

But the XERA deal looks quite fair $.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

Nice, thanks for those shots. The Xera looks perfect!


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## RE1GN2 (Feb 28, 2008)

These lights look absolutely brill!! I'm still using my titan P7 and I love it. Damn good deal on the XERA I reckon. What *fightnut* said.. all the included extras and user programming will be amazing to have. I'll probably get one for my helmet and keep my titan on the bars...

Might round up some friends for a group buy. I want that free shipping.:yesnod:


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## TurnerRick (Jul 27, 2011)

I have read everything there is on the net about the Gemini Lights. Am seriously looking at getting the Xera with current offer. No place can I find anything about run time on the medium or low setting while using the 2 cell battery. Not sure if I want to get the 2 cell or 4 cell battery. I am considering racing next year and the series requires 2 lights for night riding. What is the weight difference between the 2 batteries? What are the run times 4 cell batteries and could I use 2 lights with the one battery.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

*For trail running*

Besides mtn. biking I need a headlamp for trail running at night (and other suff also) and am trying to buy only 1 headlamp lamp to cover a bunch of bases. The Xera is a very similar weight to the Piko but it's a little bigger overall and I'm wondering how much it might bounce around. Piko is quite compact and tucked in but over twice the price...

Anyone have some thoughts on this or have you tried to run off road with a lamp like this on your head?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi TurnerRick,

The 4-cell battery pack weighs 229g and has a runtime of 4+ hours on High.
The 2-cell battery pack weighs 122g and has a runtime of 2+ hours on High.

All 3 beam levels are user configurable to increments of 10%. Here is a breakdown of run time for the 2-cell battery pack.

For the 2-cell runtimes on different intensities:
80% - 3 hrs
60% - 4 hrs 20 mins
40% - 7 hrs 30 mins
20% - 15hrs 40 mins

A 4-cell battery will achieve similar runtime with the 2-cell when split between two lights.

We know you like pictures, so we've added some new ones for you.


























Enjoy!


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

skidad said:


> *The Xera is a very similar weight to the Piko but it's a little bigger overall* and I'm wondering how much it might bounce around. Piko is quite compact and tucked in but over twice the price...


Hi Skidad,

XERA may seem bigger in pictures, but in fact it has the same dimensions as the Piko. If you rotate XERA 90 degrees, it has *exactly* the same length and width. I can have measurement shots up tonight :thumbsup:


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## ott13979 (Sep 19, 2011)

I am looking a light that will pull double duty between biking & running... does the XERA fit that bill with using your Pro Head Belt? (my concern is bounce will running)



Gemini Lights said:


> Greetings from Gemini Lights,
> 
> Due to an incoming large number of CREE XM-L units in prep for 2012, we've upgraded our TITAN LED to the XM-L. The SSC-P7 version will still be available for a limited time as we have few remaining stock left. The new beam pattern remains relatively the same with a smoother transition between hotspot and spill.
> 
> ...


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Hey Gemini lights...thanks for the great pics and quick responses.

Well, since I can't decide I'm gonna just order both the Piko 750 and the XERA and let the fun begin. How can you go wrong with the free shipping and 14 day trail period on the XERA?


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## randyharris (Jul 1, 2009)

skidad said:


> Hey Gemini lights...thanks for the great pics and quick responses.
> 
> Well, since I can't decide I'm gonna just order both the Piko 750 and the XERA and let the fun begin. How can you go wrong with the free shipping and 14 day trail period on the XERA?


I hope you have the time and interest in posting a comparison review of the Piko 750 and Xera, I think a lot of people will be considering those two lights as helmet options.


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## TurnerRick (Jul 27, 2011)

Thanks for the reply, look for my order here soon.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

ott13979 said:


> I am looking a light that will pull double duty between biking & running... does the XERA fit that bill with using your Pro Head Belt? (my concern is bounce will running)


The silicone O-ring mount is very solid and carries a lot of friction between the light and the mount. We revised our mount from last year and if you look carefully, we lowered the profile and shrunk everything down. What you get is a rigid, low profile light mounted to your helmet.

I will also say XERA has left-right, *on-the-fly* adjustability. You aren't limited to a forward facing beam. The beauty of this is that you can really get creative with your O-ring mounts. You can even mount XERA to your forks and have 360° adjustability. It is true X-Y axis adjustability.

So not only has our lights improved, but our mount is redesigned as well.


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> What you get is a rigid, low profile light mounted to your helmet.


I would not call that a low profile helmet light. What is the height of the lighthead and helmet mount assembly? I'd guess well over 2".


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## flippedr6 (Aug 15, 2011)

How long would shipping take once 9/25 comes? So I order it now they become available on 9/25 when could I expect to see it in Boston?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Vancbiker said:


> I would not call that a low profile helmet light. What is the height of the lighthead and helmet mount assembly? I'd guess well over 2".


I guess low is subjective. In comparison to other lights, it's low and only superseded by the Piko, but you lose handlebar mounting in the same form.


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> I guess low is subjective. In comparison to other lights, it's low and only superseded by the Piko, but you lose handlebar mounting in the same form.


Low is subjective and of importance to some and not others. Low to me means that it does not sit higher than the crown of the helmet. Rain soaked branches in the Pacific Northwest hang low in fall and winter. Getting the light whacked out of adjustment by a branch is an annoyance that I prefer to avoid.

No answer on that height question?


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## randyharris (Jul 1, 2009)

Vancbiker said:


> Low is subjective and of importance to some and not others. Low to me means that it does not sit higher than the crown of the helmet. Rain soaked branches in the Pacific Northwest hang low in fall and winter. Getting the light whacked out of adjustment by a branch is an annoyance that I prefer to avoid.
> 
> No answer on that height question?


The low profile and super low mounting of the Piko is one of the things I love about it.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> I guess low is subjective. In comparison to other lights, it's low and only superseded by the Piko,* but you lose handlebar mounting in the same **form*.


There is a "Piko class" mount available from Lupine that is screwed into the bottom so it becomes an o-ring style mount. Quick change from bar to helmet if desired but I think it will add height on a helmet compared to their stock mount.










Personally I think the Xera is reasonably low profile for the mount style it uses. Any light using this style mount is going to be a higher profile than the Piko. Just no way around it.

Maybe helmet companies need to start building lights right into the helmet so they look light headlights. That would be cool.....and hot at the same time.



> How long would shipping take once 9/25 comes? So I order it now they become available on 9/25 when could I expect to see it in Boston?


Since I'm in MA and have *already ordered *the Xera I'm curious about this also.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Vancbiker said:


> Low is subjective and of importance to some and not others. Low to me means that it does not sit higher than the crown of the helmet. Rain soaked branches in the Pacific Northwest hang low in fall and winter. Getting the light whacked out of adjustment by a branch is an annoyance that I prefer to avoid.
> 
> No answer on that height question?


Vancbiker, I respect your judgement.

We have no problems with low hanging branches when trail riding on Vancouver Island. We position XERA similarly as shown and sometimes even nearer the brow. In this case, low is not really the word for it anymore as it sits below the helmet crown. The mount places the light forward instead.

We designed the mount for maximum adjustability and for the way we ride. We wanted the flexibility of X-Y adjustments.



flippedr6 said:


> How long would shipping take once 9/25 comes? So I order it now they become available on 9/25 when could I expect to see it in Boston?


We hope to have it with you by the 29th or 30th at the latest and we'll definitely try our very best. We are currently shipping to dealers worldwide.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I finally decided to pull the trigger but it is still showing $22 for shipping. Im trying to order the XERA with a 4 cell battery.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

anekin007 said:


> I finally decided to pull the trigger but it is still showing $22 for shipping. Im trying to order the XERA with a 4 cell battery.


Thank you. Fixed now.


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

Ordered mine yesterday as well - got the 4 cell larger pack. 

Thanks guys:thumbsup:


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I just made the order. This is my 4th light in 3 months. I like the price and specs. I hope this one is a keeper.


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## TurnerRick (Jul 27, 2011)

Placed the order yesterday, got the 4 cell battery, this is my first light so we will see how it works when it comes in. When do you think you will be shipping the lights?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi TurnerRick,

We're aiming to ship all pre-orders on launch date - Sunday, September 25th


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi TurnerRick,
> 
> We're aiming to ship all pre-orders on launch date - Sunday, September 25th


Awesome, can't wait to get this little sucker 

My Piko X-Duo won't be stateside until maybe the end of Oct. :madman:


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## macphisto55 (Jan 8, 2010)

Ordered my.. XERA


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## flippedr6 (Aug 15, 2011)

I was wondering if the shipments went out on time? Thanks for the info


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi flippedr6,

We've delayed the first shipments of XERA by only a few days. They are now completing the final inspection.

We hope to have the light in your hands by next Monday. Sorry for the delay.

Regards,

Chris


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Bummer on the delay in shipping. Hopefully not to long.

Did you guys from Gemini Lights send any to MTBR for the 2012 light shootout? Might be a good idea to get in on this if you haven't already.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

skidad said:


> Bummer on the delay in shipping. Hopefully not to long.
> 
> Did you guys from Gemini Lights send any to MTBR for the 2012 light shootout? Might be a good idea to get in on this if you haven't already.


Won't be long we promise.

We're sending XERA in for a review with Francois


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> Thank you. Fixed now.


Not entirely, I just got charged it.


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

Rakuman said:


> *Your TITAN XML is very smooth and that XERA is insane smokes that Piko. I just might have to try that one out. are you ever going to get a US distributor so we don't get hammered on shipping thats the only thing that sours me on it. $22 bucks to ship to California ouch.*


On the shipping fee ...

Welcome to the world of all Canadians who have ever ordered anything from a US website.

My last order from Jenson was a $40 shipping fee - for USPS and one place didn't disclose shipping until the last stage of the checkout - where it showed up at $96.

What I find a little surprising is that I got charged the same $22 fee and live in Canada.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> Won't be long we promise.
> 
> We're sending XERA in for a review with Francois


What light is in the shootout? There's a picture noted Gemini but doesn't show a model.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Two Jack said:


> Not entirely, I just got charged it.


Hi Two Jack,

The free shipping pre-orders ended on the 25th, the launch date for XERA.

All orders from our website are sent from our factory direct in Hong Kong, so $22 for DHL service is quite honestly the best we can do. Hope you understand!

Delivery can be achieved in 3 days. However we experienced a 2 day delay with shipments for our pre-orders. All pre-orders should arrive by Monday at the latest.

Thanks!

Chris


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

Two Jack said:


> Not entirely, I just got charged it.


*...And the response from Gemini...
* ...( below )

*Gemini Lights wrote:*


> Hi Two Jack,
> 
> The free shipping pre-orders ended on the 25th, the launch date for XERA.
> 
> ...


*Two Jack,* You did miss the announced shipping discount for the pre-orders by two days. Tough luck.

*Gemini Lights,* You did miss your planned shipping date by two days. Since this is the grand debut of your newest product ( and a lot of people are watching ) why not give the guy a break? Why spoil his "New light Buzz" with some technical sour grapes vibe? You could just call it "_the CMD two day shipping delay discount_"......If you do then it will surely be known that you rock. :rockon:


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## jpc2879 (Sep 19, 2011)

very impressive, thanks for test shots!


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

*Two Jack,* You did miss the announced shipping discount for the pre-orders by two days. Tough luck.

*Gemini Lights,* You did miss your planned shipping date by two days. Since this is the grand debut of your newest product ( and a lot of people are watching ) why not give the guy a break? Why spoil his "New light Buzz" with some technical sour grapes vibe? You could just call it "_the CMD two day shipping delay discount_"......If you do then it will surely be known that you rock. :rockon:[/QUOTE]

Yup, I agree, IMO this would be the fair thing to do :thumbsup:


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

after reading in another thread that you claim 2012 will be an interesting year for lightsI am left wit ha question.

A buddy and I are about to order a two sets each from Vanessa in Victoria one xera and one titan each. Should we hold of on the order. you hinted at an anouncement in a couple of weeks. What do you think?
We just live up the road form you guys in Port Alberni on Van Island, its starting to get dark and we are itching to ride.


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

stinkyto said:


> after reading in another thread that you claim 2012 will be an interesting year for lightsI am left wit ha question.
> 
> A buddy and I are about to order a two sets each from Vanessa in Victoria one xera and one titan each. Should we hold of on the order. you hinted at an anouncement in a couple of weeks. What do you think?
> We just live up the road form you guys in Port Alberni on Van Island, its starting to get dark and we are itching to ride.


Interesting.

Even though I have ordered the Xera, I am thinking of ordering the Dinotte combo of 1200+/400L as well. It is very pricy, but ...

If there is a good reason NOT to I would love for someone to even just say "*don't do that*", I am at my house in AZ for the next week and if I place a Dinotte order tomorrow it will be in my suitcase going home next week.

So ..............


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

*Dont do that!!!!!!!! I would wait and see whats coming you might regret it...*


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## skiracing (Dec 28, 2010)

So have the Xera lights started shipping now? If I was to place an order today, can I for sure get it in 3-4 days?

Also, does anyone know if DHL charges a brokerage fee at the time of deliver? If they are like UPS then that SUCKS!


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Greetings from Gemini Lights,

We are currently experiencing a delay with XERA. We expect to commence shipping in one week (October 7th), which is longer than what we expected. This is largely due to the national holiday in Asia.

As it stands, we have not yet shipped out any XERA orders yet, and we plan start right after the national holiday.

We do sincerely apologize for this and are willing to refund any pre-orders right away for those who would not like to wait. Those who accept the refund offered will be given a chance to order again in near future (after the holiday) with the free shipping still enabled.

Thank you for your patience and kind understanding.

Gemini Lights


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

skiracing said:


> So have the Xera lights started shipping now? If I was to place an order today, can I for sure get it in 3-4 days?
> 
> Also, does anyone know if DHL charges a brokerage fee at the time of deliver? If they are like UPS then that SUCKS!


I'd venture to say they are not shipping yet or Gemini would have chimed in letting us know.

In his post above the lights are shipping from Hong Kong so 3-4 days is expecting way to much IMO. How about a week to 10 days perhaps is my guess once they ship.

What's with the brokerage fee? Never heard of that and Gemini assured me they can deliver to my PO box. Sure hope so.


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## skiracing (Dec 28, 2010)

Sorry... another question... would the holiday also affect the shipping of the Titan light?


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## skiracing (Dec 28, 2010)

skidad said:


> I'd venture to say they are not shipping yet or Gemini would have chimed in letting us know.
> 
> In his post above the lights are shipping from Hong Kong so 3-4 days is expecting way to much IMO. How about a week to 10 days perhaps is my guess once they ship.
> 
> What's with the brokerage fee? Never heard of that and Gemini assured me they can deliver to my PO box. Sure hope so.


I think DHL is fine for brokerage... with UPS, they use their in-house service to clear packages through customs into Canada and charge a $35 or so flat fee.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi Skidad,

You may have missed my post just before you wrote yours.

To give more information, on just a 'general notice'.. we have had delays with parts being delivered to us and has pushed our shipping window into the national holiday period which sets us back significantly.

DHL is able to ship in 3 days to major locations in US & Canada and 4 days at latest to rural destinations.

Cheers,

Chris


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

skiracing said:


> I think DHL is fine for brokerage... with UPS, they use their in-house service to clear packages through customs into Canada and charge a $35 or so flat fee.


So far we've had no complaints about customs and brokerage fees.

The TITAN isn't affected in the delays and is shipping on time. If XERA is included in the order then it will have the same issue.


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## skiracing (Dec 28, 2010)

Gemini Lights said:


> So far we've had no complaints about customs and brokerage fees.
> 
> The TITAN isn't affected in the delays and is shipping on time. If XERA is included in the order then it will have the same issue.


Thank you very much for the quick reply! I think that's the one I will go with. I am desprate for a light; can't miss out on anymore night rides with my buddies :nono:


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

In any word on the big anouncment you claimed in another post. I was wondering wether to hold off on my order for a couple of weeks. a Buddy and I are going with a titan plus xera combo....but should I wait


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## skiracing (Dec 28, 2010)

Ok, my order has been placed for the Titan with the cree! Can't wait to get it!


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

stinkyto said:


> In any word on the big anouncment you claimed in another post. I was wondering wether to hold off on my order for a couple of weeks. a Buddy and I are going with a titan plus xera combo....but should I wait


This is a tough one.. because we aren't in a position to tell our folks to wait. It's not really ethical/proper to do that. Though being a keen night rider myself, I know how important these decisions are, especially because you plan to use these lights for the long run.

A good option would be to get the XERA first. You can use it on either the bar or the helmet and run one light for now.. or ride together! If you buy the two XERA's together you qualify for free shipping anyway, and if you buy the new bar light together in 3-4 weeks then you also will qualify for free shipping.

Of course you can also get the titan now if you need a light, but we will begin shipping XERA officially on the 7th of October. You are eligible for returns on all lights within two weeks of receiving it! (Including you skidad..)

Did this help you?


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> Greetings from Gemini Lights,
> 
> We are currently experiencing a delay with XERA. We expect to commence shipping in one week (October 7th), which is longer than what we expected. This is largely due to the national holiday in Asia.
> 
> ...


Am I missing something here?

How do I just cancel my order??


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Two Jack said:


> Am I missing something here?
> 
> How do I just cancel my order??


Hi TwoJack, I've sent you a PM.

I've included your order as a 'pre-order'.


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi TwoJack, I've sent you a PM.
> 
> I've included your order as a 'pre-order'.


My post count is 7 so I cannot send a PM.

That means I can't send you a PM to thank you.

I did send you an email though.

Thank you.


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## TCW (Mar 13, 2006)

Is the plug on the XERA the same as what Magicshine uses? I'd like to throw a spare battery in my pack just in case a ride got over extended and as a backup. Also, I really like the O-ring mount because I can hook it directly to my helmets (Giro Pneumo or Hex) via a cross vent. Puts the light a lot lower, but hardly any adjustability. Still it works for me with my magicshines. So, it looks like it would work for the XERA.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

TCW said:


> Is the plug on the XERA the same as what Magicshine uses? I'd like to throw a spare battery in my pack just in case a ride got over extended and as a backup. Also, I really like the O-ring mount because I can hook it directly to my helmets (Giro Pneumo or Hex) via a cross vent. Puts the light a lot lower, but hardly any adjustability. Still it works for me with my magicshines. So, it looks like it would work for the XERA.


The Magicshine batteries work for the XERA and likewise the Gemini batteries work for Magicshine lights. However I wouldn't recommend mismatching the chargers, you can read more information about that in my signature.

The TITAN and XERA mounts to cross vents too, it puts it nice and low. You know your stuff! :thumbsup:

Edit: The up-down adjustability may be slightly more difficult, but XERA has left-right adjustability built in that won't be affected by cross vent mounting.


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

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi TwoJack, I've sent you a PM.
> 
> I've included your order as a 'pre-order'.


*Gemini Lights*...Well done. Your current status in now at:

"*WE ROCK*", level one. :rockon: :cornut:


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## TCW (Mar 13, 2006)

Gemini Lights said:


> The Magicshine batteries work for the XERA and likewise the Gemini batteries work for Magicshine lights. However I wouldn't recommend mismatching the chargers, you can read more information about that in my signature.
> 
> The TITAN and XERA mounts to cross vents too, it puts it nice and low. You know your stuff! :thumbsup:
> 
> Edit: The up-down adjustability may be slightly more difficult, but XERA has left-right adjustability built in that won't be affected by cross vent mounting.


Excellent news, thanks for the info.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

Kind of an off topic question, but how does your charger/battery make sure each of the cells in the pack are balanced? Is there a chip in the battery that makes sure each cell maintains close to the same voltage as the other cells? I suppose the same question could be asked about the voltage discharge while the light is running.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

TwoHeadsBrewing said:


> Kind of an off topic question, but how does your charger/battery make sure each of the cells in the pack are balanced? Is there a chip in the battery that makes sure each cell maintains close to the same voltage as the other cells? I suppose the same question could be asked about the voltage discharge while the light is running.


TwoHeadsBrewing, you are correct. The battery pack has a built-in circuit that monitors the internal voltage of each cell and controls the discharge rate via the IC. Having the discharge rate controlled by the IC enables balancing of voltage per cell. In addition to the circuit there is thermal management that is closely integrated with over current protection and a low voltage cut off point.

The risk of fire and explosion is directly correlated with current overdrive and cell imbalance. So matching the right charger is always the most important thing the end user can do. The low voltage cut off point aids the battery's lifespan so it's not always completely discharged and also prevents higher differences in cell voltage.

Samsung provides good quality cells that are matched very closely so there's not much to worry about cell imbalance there.

The smart charger is rated at the right current and a 8.4v maximum. There is a cutoff point in the circuit to prevent over voltage, which is a little higher than 8.4v.

Regards,

Chris


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

Good info, thanks!


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## hurricanejoel (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm about to pull the trigger on some lights for riding in Squamish. Ideally I would like to get a set for my bars and helmet. 

The other front runner is the Magic Shine MJ-872 XP-G which can be had for the same price and has twice the claimed output. 

What are the advantages/disadvantages of the XERA relative to the Magic Shine stuff? My concerns are output, run time, durability (waterproof), and mounting systems since our trails are rough and will rattle the lights constantly.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Hey hurricanejoal, i live in Squamish and do a lot of night riding here. First thing you should look at is reliability because in our demografic as you know it's very wet here. I would stay away from the MS stuff only because you will find by reading the history of even the newer stuff that they are not built to handel our wet climate. Also MS's output claims are over stated vs many of the top brands out there.

I have a Gemini Titan, last years P-7 D-bin. Compared to my MS it is of better quality and brightness. I have a Xera on the way and will be able to have a review on it's reliability in some time,and performance vs my Titan.

The MEC in North Vancouver has the new Cygolite Turbo 740 XML $169. Last i checked the shipment was delayed but if built like my TridenX is worth a look as i never had a problem with my Triden X and it's been through the ringer. Cheers!!!


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Are they the same size as the magicshine? Are the lens interchangable with magicshine custom lenses?


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

indebt said:


> Hey hurricanejoal, i live in Squamish and do a lot of night riding here. First thing you should look at is reliability because in our demografic as you know it's very wet here. I would stay away from the MS stuff only because you will find by reading the history of even the newer stuff that they are not built to handel our wet climate. Also MS's output claims are over stated vs many of the top brands out there.
> 
> I have a Gemini Titan, last years P-7 D-bin. Compared to my MS it is of better quality and brightness.* I have a Xera on the way* and will be able to have a review on it's reliability in some time,and performance vs my Titan.
> 
> The MEC in North Vancouver has the new Cygolite Turbo 740 XML $169. Last i checked the shipment was delayed but if built like my TridenX is worth a look as i never had a problem with my Triden X and it's been through the ringer. Cheers!!!


...So you're squeamish about the MS in Squamish...( sorry, I couldn't resist... ) Okay, dumb jokes aside, nice to see you have an array of lights to compare and to chose from. Because of that you are now on my "posters to watch list". I can't wait to hear what you think about the XERA.

So what set-up ( or combo ) are you currently riding with?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

hurricanejoel said:


> I'm about to pull the trigger on some lights for riding in Squamish. Ideally I would like to get a set for my bars and helmet.
> 
> The other front runner is the Magic Shine MJ-872 XP-G which can be had for the same price and has twice the claimed output.
> 
> What are the advantages/disadvantages of the XERA relative to the Magic Shine stuff? My concerns are output, run time, durability (waterproof), and mounting systems since our trails are rough and will rattle the lights constantly.


We've been asked this question before - *how does the Magicshine MJ-872 compare to the XERA?*

I haven't had any personal experience with the Magicshine MJ-872, so I can't give a good comparison. However going over GeomanGear's specs on the MJ-872 it seems that it does have a higher lumen output than the XERA, so going by that it would be more powerful.

XERA is designed to be a lightweight helmet light, similar to the Lupine Piko. The MJ-872 is more of a bar light with flood pattern. It also a good to have a ratio of 2:1 handlebar to helmet output.

XERA is half the size and weight of the MJ-872. The beam pattern is really nice to use on the trail. It lights up wide enough and has enough throw for even the fastest riders. It's definitely not a spot pattern like the reflector lights on the market. Having tried both, our preference swayed towards optics.

*We highly encourage testing the XERA for yourself*. If ever you feel you made the wrong choice, or that it's not the right light for you, we offer you a full refund.

We are just as excited as you are to get XERA in your hands and we are very sorry for the delay. China's national holiday has started already and is rather unavoidable.

A new Gemini bar light is in the works. Estimated launch is 3-4 weeks from now and will be a triple XM-L. It is larger than XERA but smaller than the TITAN.

We'll give you the updates as we go on! Check our facebook or our news page for more information as well.

Happy rides.

Chris

PS: Go to page 1 of this thread to take a look at beam patterns.. or click on these links below:
https://gemini-lights.com/forums/Gemini-Lights-Beamshots.gif
https://gemini-lights.com/forums/Gemini-Lights-Trailshots.gif


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> A new Gemini bar light is in the works. Estimated launch is 3-4 weeks from now and will be a triple XM-L. It is larger than XERA but smaller than the TITAN.


This is exciting! Can you share any more details? Beam angle, # of watts, etc?


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Cat-man-do said:


> ...So you're squeamish about the MS in Squamish...( sorry, I couldn't resist... ) Okay, dumb jokes aside, nice to see you have an array of lights to compare and to chose from. Because of that you are now on my "posters to watch list". I can't wait to hear what you think about the XERA.
> 
> So what set-up ( or combo ) are you currently riding with?


 LOL,,,, be gentile Cat-man-do, my primary set-up is Betty2 22degree on the bars and the Wilma 1100 lumen for my lid. I'm a light nerd and have been buying different lights not only to do reviews on them but to get more riders in my area into night riding. So at times i lend them out to riders tagging along for a night ride and they can get a feel of what it's like. Best part is, it works!!

I'm not one to tinker with my lights in terms of pulling them apart and trying to better weatherproof them thus why i don't recomend the MS stuff hear in Squamish. It's stupidly wet here eight months a year. Cheers!!!


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## hurricanejoel (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks for the input. 

What attracted me to the 872 was the fact that it was a flood light, and that I could run it on my bars, and then combine it with a spot on my helmet. I plan on riding anything and everything at night, so the more light the better - until a point where the cost becomes obnoxious. 

I would like to buy both at once, and from the same company to keep things simple, so I will have to wait until your bar mounted light is available.


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## TurnerRick (Jul 27, 2011)

I want my light but am bummed that it won't be here when promised. I have my first night time ride coming up this weekend and was hoping to get it by then.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

We're very sorry for the delay. The light is really worth the wait.. I assure you. We're very excited about it and we can't wait to have it in your hands.


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## vtsteevo (Jan 19, 2010)

Hey guys, are you still doing free shipping offer?

I am thinking TITAN on the handlebars and XERA on the helmet for off road twisty singletrack? Any thoughts?

Tough choice between MS, Gemini, and Ray


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## macphisto55 (Jan 8, 2010)

I really hope the XERA is shipping this comming week.. I did the pre-order but if it keeps getting delayed I'll go with something else.. Already have the TITAN on the bars


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## thetoque (Mar 6, 2008)

So Gemini- are you shipping yet? If so, how long (approx) does regular shipping take to BC?

I am seriously considering an order, but the time it takes to get my mitts on them is an important factor in the decision. Cheers.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Hey thetoque, i'm in Squamish too and have ordered an Xera from Gemini. Status of my order is delayed but is supposed to ship out today. If confirmed shipped today, i'll let you know exactly the time frame. If i remember correctly, Chris said it was only about a week or so. Cheers!!! If your in a big hurrey, i think MEC in North Van has the new Cygolite Turbo740 for $169.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Good day.

We are shipping our first batch of XERA now. Our pre-order customers (orders placed before and on the 25th) should be the first one to receive the units. For orders after the 25th, we are preparing your shipment now. They will be ready to ship on Monday or Tuesday (delivery time is 3-4 days with DHL).

Again we're extremely sorry for the unexpected delays. We really wished we could've had these in your hands a lot sooner. If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to PM me.

Cheers,

Chris



vtsteevo said:


> Hey guys, are you still doing free shipping offer?
> 
> I am thinking TITAN on the handlebars and XERA on the helmet for off road twisty singletrack? Any thoughts?


Free shipping is still on the table :thumbsup:
It will end late next week.

I do prefer the XERA over the TITAN on the bars _and_ helmet. The beam pattern is very even, forward throwing with enough width to cover any trail - i feel most comfortable this way. Some riders have different tastes. Do you like a hotspot pattern? TITAN has a hotspot with reflector.

Here are some trail shots:
https://gemini-lights.com/forums/Gemini-Lights-Beamshots.gif
https://gemini-lights.com/forums/Gemini-Lights-Trailshots.gif


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

Right on - looking forward to yet another new light :thumbsup:


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanx for the update Chris, looking forward to my new light.:thumbsup:


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## PureMX (May 5, 2009)

I'm in for an XERA 4-cell too. 

Thanks for your support on the forum.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I just got the email for the shipment tracking number. Look forward to receiving the lights.


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## adamjt (Mar 27, 2009)

Anyone get the XERA with the 4 cell battery yet? I also want the light for jogging/hiking and I'm curious if you can jog with the headstrap and the 4 cell battery on it or if its too heavy/bounces too much. That is the only thing holding me back at the moment.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

adamjt said:


> Anyone get the XERA with the 4 cell battery yet? I also want the light for jogging/hiking and I'm curious if you can jog with the headstrap and the 4 cell battery on it or if its too heavy/bounces too much. That is the only thing holding me back at the moment.


Hi Adamjt,

I would recommend the 2-cell for jogging and hiking as the runtime on any modes besides maximum are very good. You probably wouldn't need so much light for running at night. If you're using the light for riding as well, then I understand. Another option could be a spare 2-cell battery pack?

Cheers,

Chris


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## bledsoe32 (Dec 30, 2010)

adamjt said:


> Anyone get the XERA with the 4 cell battery yet? I also want the light for jogging/hiking and I'm curious if you can jog with the headstrap and the 4 cell battery on it or if its too heavy/bounces too much. That is the only thing holding me back at the moment.


I just received my XERA with the 4 cell battery. I don't think the pics showed do justice to just how small the lighthead is. It is tiny. I have a couple of Bikeray II and not even close as to size. I can't speak to the light itself yet. I did shine inside the house and looked impressive there, but won't hit the trails until Wed night. I agree though, if you were going to jog, get a two cell pack.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi bledsoe32,

Glad to know the light is safe in your hands now. Sorry for the wait.

Cheers.


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## bledsoe32 (Dec 30, 2010)

No worries, looks like it is going to be worth the wait. Do you recommend charging before first use?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

You can top up the charge if you like. Priming is not actually necessary.

If you would like more information you can have a quick read of our article in the signature below.


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## temporoad (Jul 27, 2006)

*Great customer service*

I just received this email form Gemini.

"We'd like to offer our sincerest apologies for keeping you waiting. We have now shipped your XERA order.
The delay is caused by the circuit board. We were not satisfied by the functionality of one part of the program - the factory reset option.
What we have done now is we've sent you your complete order with our current board version. The only differences are the user programming feature is disabled.
We really didn't want to keep you waiting any longer, so we've sent you a XERA light to use for now. It is complete in every way except, without the manual programming feature. In about a week or two, when we have finalized the programming feature to spec, *we'll send you an additional new XERA light head for free with the programming feature enabled*. So you'll be able to rock two XERA lights very soon.
We hope you'll accept this as our apology for keeping you waiting and we appreciate your patience thus far.":thumbsup:


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

Just got my light in - can't wait to try it out :thumbsup:

I agree that the pics don't do justice on the overall light head size. 

So will you be shipping out these updated light heads to everyone that doesn't have one with a program mode?

Great looking light - thanks :thumbsup:

Ed


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I just received mine this morning. I received the same email as temporoad. BIG thumbs up for Chris and Gemini for offering a free light for a short technical delay. :thumbsup:

for the weight watchers.

Headlight with attached wire - 57.9g 
Headlight measurement - 46mm x 31mm x 46mm (LxWxH) (measured with mount not including wire)
Helmet mount - 15.9g
Pro head belt - 44.5g
4 cell 5200mAh battery - 236g

Pictures -




























*Niterider Minewt 600/Gemini Xera/Kaidomain KD Cree XML T6*


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## Buster Bluth (Sep 11, 2008)

Just got my Titan. This will be my first high powered light. Probably later get a Xera to run with it in a bars/helmet set up. At first I'll just use the Titan on my helmet (and bring a flashlight in my pack as a back up just in case.)

Will try it out sometime this week.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

NitroRC Ed said:


> Just got my light in - can't wait to try it out :thumbsup:
> 
> I agree that the pics don't do justice on the overall light head size.
> 
> ...


Hi Ed,

Yes, thats correct. The XERAs that have been shipped to our preorder customers will see a new replacement XERA in the mail.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I was riding to the local and I got cut of by a car. I'm surprise my niterider had small scratches because it's so much bigger than the Xera. My new Xera somehow took a lot of damage but the lens didn't take any damage at all. Anyone know where can get a marker to match the gunmetal color of the headlight?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

anekin007 said:


> I was riding to the local and I got cut of by a car. I'm surprise my niterider had small scratches because it's so much bigger than the Xera. My new Xera somehow took a lot of damage but the lens didn't take any damage at all. Anyone know where can get a marker to match the gunmetal color of the headlight?


Goodness! Are you hurt? There are always the few who don't take much care to riders.. usually these people are ones who have never ridden on the road themselves.

Is your XERA scratched? We have spent the extra and hard anodized the case..


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## PureMX (May 5, 2009)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Ed,
> 
> Yes, thats correct. The XERAs that have been shipped to our preorder customers will see a new replacement XERA in the mail.


I ordered on Saturday 10/8. Am I too late for a set of Gemini "twins" ?


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I got scapes on all my limbs I can heal but I'm more sad about the Xera. I was so excited to received the Xera. It took some scraps but nothing too serious. So far it looks good. The beam and brightness tops my niterider minewt 600.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Recieved my Xera yesterday too. Great looking light!

Haven't tried it on the trail yet, but backyard testing was very promising. And two thumbs up to Gemini and Chris for sending a second lighthead with 100% functionality later on


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Thank you for all the nice comments.

We have been getting really warming emails from all of you, thanks for those. We're very appreciative of your patience with us and we're happy that you like XERA.

@PureMX
It looks like our board will be finalized soon. If the wait is expected to be much longer then I will gladly send you a XERA 1st Gen.

Cheers,

Chris


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I just got done with a night ride. I ran one of my Niterider minewt 600 along with the Xera on the bar. The Xera was brighter than my Niterider 600 and half way with my ride my niterider 600 shut off because I was out of power. It feels good to not worry about my light running low on power during a night ride. I rode for 2:30hr and the light was still green. I give two thumbs up for Gemini! good bright lumen and good light weight design from headlight, wires, and battery.


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## vtsteevo (Jan 19, 2010)

Anyone get a chance to compare Xera to the MS 808E yet?


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

No ride yet but had it in the back yard (3 acres of trees and trails) and it looks good. 

Compared to my Piko and i'm liking it :thumbsup:

Ed


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## juergenor (Mar 30, 2004)

NitroRC Ed said:


> No ride yet but had it in the back yard (3 acres of trees and trails) and it looks good.
> 
> Compared to my Piko and i'm liking it :thumbsup:
> 
> Ed


Piko 550 or 750?

Juergenor


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## temporoad (Jul 27, 2006)

*Wow*

Just received my light. Tested it in the yard and compared it to my iBlaast II, Xera has a whiter light, less beamy (I liked the beam pattern of the iBlaast this may be better) much brighter and the size of it, I couldn't believe how small it is. It even has a nice manual most products like this don't have a manual at all.:thumbsup:
Going out tomorrow night my riding buddy will be jealous:madmax:

Nice job Gemini


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

2 questions:

1) I went to order a Xera and the free shipping was not applied. The site says free shipping on orders until Oct 16th.

2) Would a Xera on the helmet and a Titan on the bars be a good combo?


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Bummer...DHL came today and no one around to sign for my light:madman:

Tomorrow if I'm lucky I'll be out trying both the new Xera on my helmet and a Magic Shine MJ-856 1600 lumen light on the bars. Should be a sweet combo.

FWI...I ordered the Xera with just the 2 cell battery as I will be using this light for night trail runing, XC skiing and snow shoeing besides mtn. biking. Great to hear the reports of the nice small size and weight. Look forward to trying it out all different ways.

Gemini.....Very nice offer to send the pre-order customers a second light head vs. making us wait additional weeks for the final spec. version :thumbsup:. I came very close to cancelling my order. In case you hadn't noticed we were all chomping at the bit to get this light:yesnod:


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

88 rex said:


> 2 questions:
> 
> 1) I went to order a Xera and the free shipping was not applied. The site says free shipping on orders until Oct 16th.
> 
> 2) Would a Xera on the helmet and a Titan on the bars be a good combo?


Hi Rex,

Sorry about the shipping, it is fixed now. I highly recommend the XERA on both the bars and the helmet. It's visibly brighter because of the fantastic optics. More than half the weight and around half it's size. We are also working on a reflector accessory for the XERA so you may be able to do a swap in to change the beam pattern.

Skidad,

I hope you receive your light soon, you can call DHL to reschedule a delivery at your convenience. Tell us what you think when you get the light - good or bad.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Rex,
> 
> Sorry about the shipping, it is fixed now. I highly recommend the XERA on both the bars and the helmet. It's visibly brighter because of the fantastic optics. More than half the weight and around half it's size.* We are also working on a reflector accessory for the XERA so you may be able to do a swap in to change the beam pattern.*
> .


*That just sold me I was hoping you were going to offer a reflector got to have that hot spot for the helmet:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:*


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Rex,
> 
> Sorry about the shipping, it is fixed now. I highly recommend the XERA on both the bars and the helmet. It's visibly brighter because of the fantastic optics. More than half the weight and around half it's size. We are also working on a reflector accessory for the XERA so you may be able to do a swap in to change the beam pattern.


Thanks and ordered. :thumbsup:


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

juergenor said:


> Piko 550 or 750?
> 
> Juergenor


Was the baby brother - 550 

This weekend i'll set it up next to me DesignShine DS-1300 and see how they work together :thumbsup:


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## TurnerRick (Jul 27, 2011)

Got my light, thanks guys, I love it. Will be riding with a group tonight and will be able to compare with others lights. This is my first light so I have nothing else to compare it with. You guys are great and I love the product and am glad I waited and not cancel.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

We hope you enjoy your ride tonight! There's nothing better than group night rides.. fun times.


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## notlob (Oct 15, 2008)

Chris....Yesterday pm I just received my Xera with the 4 cell!!!! Cycled into work early this morning...very dark night especially on the country roads here with no street lights!!! Saw things I have never seen before there was so much light  !!! Even stopped by a passing car asking me what make the light was!!! Very impressive light especially for something so small....!! This has been second-to-none customer service you are providing in a) keeping us continually informed on the delay and development of this Xera light and b) throwing in an extra light for the delay....very much appreciated and one that can only promote customer loyalty that much more!!! Thanks again!! :thumbsup:


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## Buster Bluth (Sep 11, 2008)

Very happy with my new Titan. I think I'll leave it on my helmet and then get an Xera for my bars.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Still waiting!!! My light is sitting in Richmond just an hour away but is been held for additional payments,( Taxes,duty fee's,brokerage fee's) after 45 minutes on the phone 30 of it on hold, DHL doesn't have the invoice finnished for me to pay, so i will have to go through this again later today, or wait until Monday my next day off. Good greef!! Why does this light have to go from Hong Kong, to Cincinnati hub, then Seattle before it comes to Canada. Curriers,,,, always guaranteed extra fee's.:madman:

Jealous of you guys already playing.:thumbsup:


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## temporoad (Jul 27, 2006)

indebt said:


> Still waiting!!! My light is sitting in Richmond just an hour away but is been held for additional payments,( Taxes,duty fee's,brokerage fee's)
> Jealous of you guys already playing.:thumbsup:


I had to pay $8.99 to receive mine in ON.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

I hope thats all for me. Last time i had two battery covers,(not battery's) sent to me from Gretna by currier and got stung $41 for duty fee's etc. That was more than the battery covers, so always get nervous waiting for the invoice.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Got mine today.....OMG it's tiny and oh so cute

Time to go play with my new toy. Hopefully a run or bike ride tonight if this rain stops.


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## nixternal (Oct 9, 2011)

Was just going to ask, for those of you in the US that ordered, did you have to pay any other fees in order to receive the light? Would like to know ahead of time so I can have the cash in hand. No way I am giving those guys my credit card to run. Last time I did that I was screwed, though it wasn't DHL and some other international courier service here in Chicago.


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## TurnerRick (Jul 27, 2011)

I am in Indianapolis and it was on my front porch with no additional charges, I think the ones paying the extra charges are in Canada but here in the US there wasn't any additional charges.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

nixternal said:


> Was just going to ask, for those of you in the US that ordered, did you have to pay any other fees in order to receive the light? Would like to know ahead of time so I can have the cash in hand. No way I am giving those guys my credit card to run. Last time I did that I was screwed, though it wasn't DHL and some other international courier service here in Chicago.


From what we hear from our US customers, the customs duty is low and usually there are no additional charges. However, if ever the charges are too much you have a right to turn down the package. I don't think many people are informed about this and sometimes they are pressured by couriers into paying an amount that they wouldn't normally agree to.

Btw, thanks for sharing the great feedback guys.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

I had my first night ride yesterday with the Xera. To sum it up in 2 words: Kick ass!

Beam pattern and amount of light is really good, I actually used it on low for almost all of the technical climbing, had it on medium on most of the rest. High only on the high speed descents. Paired it with a Magicshine 872, and it worked really well.
Had the 2-cell battery on the helmet, and even though i could feel the weight of the battery, I positioned it in such a way that the weight was evenly distributed. The little loop on the battery hardcase is really trick!

If I'm going to be really picky, I would want a way of cycling the levels the other way. I.e. going directly from medium to low without having to go via high and off first. Maybe not easy to do with 1 button?

All in all: I'm very happy. 
If the long term durability is in line with the first impressions of the Xera, I think Gemini is going to sell a lot of these.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

langen said:


> If I'm going to be really picky, *I would want a way of cycling the levels the other way*. I.e. going directly from medium to low without having to go via high and off first.


Thank you for the great feedback.

You've picked up on a feature that is exactly what's included with the 2nd Gen XERA (which will be sent to you next week). With manual user programming, we leave it entirely up to you. We call them modes A/B/C because they don't necessarily mean LOW/MED/HIGH anymore. You could have HIGH/LOW/MED - and it's your choice. We give you 3 presets and you can pick what you want to do with them. Setting them up takes less than 30 seconds as well.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Very impress with the running time on the 4 cell. Its been my 3rd ride and I finally ran til I got a solid red indicator light. At about total of 3hr50min of all high setting it finally turn red. I rode with a solid red for another 15mins until I got home. I wont run it until it dies but from my experience it ran the 4+hours Gemini claims.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

skidad said:


> Got mine today.....OMG it's tiny and oh so cute
> 
> Time to go play with my new toy. Hopefully a run or bike ride tonight if this rain stops.


Ok, 1st ride last night. Rain turned to steady drizzle but screw it I had to ride anyway. Just like driving a car in the rain it tends to suck up light power big time but WOW this is a powerful little light. I paired it with a 1600 lumen Magic Shine 856 on the bars (the 872 clone but better cooling). Nice combo for sure. The tiny little Xera easily out throws the powerful MS which is a very floody light but the Xera beam (at least on this wet evening) is very smooth with no pronounced hot spot I could detect. I turned off the MS and could ride with the Xera on high all by itself really no problem (if I wanted to). Bouncing the beam off trees and later a white garage door I was just stunned with this little power house. Very impresed and can't wait to try it when it's dry outside. No issues with water and it got plenty wet. Running on high I could feel the warmth of the lamp head through my gloves but nothing crazy and it never stepped down in power which really it shouldn't in the rain and the temps I was in.

My 2 cell battery pack mounted up beautifully in a horizontal position on the very lower back portion of my Fox Flux helmet so it's very balanced and with the cable tucked safely throught the vents. Hardly know it's even up there but I'm also used to a moto helmets weight. Still I know it's a very lightweight package and look forward to trying it out trail running with the supplied head strap. Since pre-order customers are getting a second lamp head I'll need to order another 2 or 4 cell battery and a 2nd helmet mount for my son so he can have some night fun also.


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## sherpaxc (Aug 12, 2005)

A couple question, because I'm going to buy something today. If I buy 1 Xera and one Titan, can I still get in on the free shipping? If it helps I think I just convinced 4 other friends to buy these lights!


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Just placed an order for a Xera. I'm looking forward to actually seeing the trail at night!

One question though: Is it possible to get a battery pack to run this light with disposable batteries? For multi-day adventures like the Colorado Trail Race, it's not possible to recharge battery packs enroute--but it is possible to buy fresh disposables along the way. Help?


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## adamjt (Mar 27, 2009)

sherpaxc said:


> A couple question, because I'm going to buy something today. If I buy 1 Xera and one Titan, can I still get in on the free shipping? If it helps I think I just convinced 4 other friends to buy these lights!


Put both in your cart and check out, you get an option for $0 shipping. Worked for me.


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## rzims (Sep 7, 2005)

ok, just ordered the Xera...can't wait to try it out...


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## temporoad (Jul 27, 2006)

TobyGadd said:


> One question though: Is it possible to get a battery pack to run this light with disposable batteries? For multi-day adventures like the Colorado Trail Race, it's not possible to recharge battery packs enroute--but it is possible to buy fresh disposables along the way. Help?


Why not buy 2 or 3 battery packs will that not be enough? you would have to use 6 C batteries to give you 9 volts (battery pack by Gemini is 8.4v) will give you 8,000 mAh (Gemini 4 pack is 5,200 mAh). this is going to be a rather big package of batteries. see BH26CW | 6 C Battery Holder | Batteryholders.com | MPD
Cut the female end off your extension cable Extension Cable 70cm | Gemini Lights and connect it to the battery holder above.

I would assume your warranty would no longer be valid.

PS. I just checked 6 AA batteries would be about 2300 mAh about 2 hours of run time.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

temporoad said:


> Why not buy 2 or 3 battery packs will that not be enough? you would have to use 6 C batteries to give you 9 volts (battery pack by Gemini is 8.4v) will give you 8,000 mAh (Gemini 4 pack is 5,200 mAh). this is going to be a rather big package of batteries. see BH26CW | 6 C Battery Holder | Batteryholders.com | MPD
> Cut the female end off your extension cable Extension Cable 70cm | Gemini Lights and connect it to the battery holder above.
> 
> I would assume your warranty would no longer be valid.
> ...


2-3 battery packs would be HEAVY. It's lighter to buy fresh batteries and dispose of old ones in towns along the route.

So, if I were to put six Energize Ultimate Lithium AA batteries (3000mAh) in series, do you think that would drive the light at full power for about 3 hours?


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## sherpaxc (Aug 12, 2005)

Just ordered the Xera and a Titan. I can't wait. Hopefully these last me as long as my last lights did. Light and Motion Arc HID's, used em for 6 years of heavy use. I sure hope these are as good as people say they are. I want to recommend them to some friends!

I do a bunch of road commuting, I'm interested to see the flash pattern on it but it'll mainly be used for technical singletrack in Austin.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

My-O-My, i cant get the grin off my face and i put the Xera down a half hour ago. I didn't get out for a ride with it but had some play time in the back yard with the P-7 MS, P-7,D-Bin Titan, and the 550 lumen Piko. Had the 750lumen Piko last week so memory is still pretty good on comparing to the Xera.

As one would expect the Xera is head and shoulders above my MS, so much so that one can only laugh.
Compared to my Titan which is much brighter than the MS, the Xera was still much brighter.
And again brighter than the Piko which held it's own been the XPG version.
I wish i had the XML Piko to do a side by side as based on memory the Xera to me may have an edge but not fair to over judge without the side by side.

What really surprised me though was just how much punch the Xera has. There is a fifty foot tree on the far end of my nabour's yard aprox 140 feet away. Even though i'm using the P-7 version of the Titan, i thought the hot spot from the reflector style light would have had more punch than the plastic optic style of the Xera. Boy was i wrong, The Xera unlike the Titan lit up the whole tree and was brighter than the hot spot from my Titan.

Sorry i didn't have any XML's to compare apples to apples but this thing is just amaizing. At less than half the size of the Titan it's just stunning the amount of light comming out of this tiny thing.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Thanks for sharing your first impressions. We're happy you like the XERA so far.

MTBR has kindly created a new product review page on the Gemini XERA:
Gemini Lights Xera LED Lights Reviews

For those who have been given the opportunity to play with the 1st Gen XERA, you can share your first impressions and night rides with other people there.

Enjoy!


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

TobyGadd said:


> 2-3 battery packs would be HEAVY. It's lighter to buy fresh batteries and dispose of old ones in towns along the route.
> 
> So, if I were to put six Energize Ultimate Lithium AA batteries (3000mAh) in series, do you think that would drive the light at full power for about 3 hours?


Well, all this a little off topic but....

DiNotte sells the new XM-L (1) with a 4(AA) cell option. Supposedly 200+lumen output so maybe 250 to 300 lumen on high. One on the bars one on the helmet. I don't think you'll be breaking speed records riding 450 miles so hopefully two should do ya.  The DiNotte web site hasn't updated portions of their runtime info so you might have to contact Rob to ask him questions about run time.

Here's a link to the batteries you want to use. They look like they provide about 3000mAh per cell. That will change though depending on temps. What you need to know is the maximum drive current of the XML1 (AA) version. My gut tells me you might get three hrs from 4 cells on high but you will need to confirm that with Rob.

There are ways to build your own battery holder for AA's to power an XM-L lamp at higher outputs. A six cell holder should work ( 9volts/3000mAh ) but run times on high would not be very long ( for a single XM-L light driving over 2000ma.) Maybe 1:30min to 1:45min if lucky. Now if you run at medium or low mode most of the time this could work out real well....anyway, hope this helps.

This would make a good subject for a new thread...why not start one. :thumbsup:


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

TobyGadd said:


> One question though: Is it possible to get a battery pack to run this light with disposable batteries? For multi-day adventures like the Colorado Trail Race, it's not possible to recharge battery packs enroute--but it is possible to buy fresh disposables along the way. Help?


I don't recommend using disposable batteries with the light, simply because it's not designed to operate that way. The XML gives amazing run time on low power. You could maybe get through with 2x 4-cell battery packs. The soft-case 4-cell packs are slightly lighter. Ideally in your situation, dynamo lights would work well.

@sherpaxc
Thanks for the recommendation. The brightness of flash mode is configurable on our new boards - anywhere between 10-100%. The same level of configuration is available for the 3 beam presets.


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## vtsteevo (Jan 19, 2010)

I was waiting for the initial feedback to come in, and went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Xera and an MS-872 for the bars from geoman. Can't wait!!!!

Went ahead with the 2 cell battery.. just makes sense... makes it highly versatile because the battery is so small!


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> From what we hear from our US customers, the customs duty is low and usually there are no additional charges. However, if ever the charges are too much you have a right to turn down the package. I don't think many people are informed about this and sometimes they are pressured by couriers into paying an amount that they wouldn't normally agree to.
> 
> Btw, thanks for sharing the great feedback guys.


If customers in canada are getting charged extra duty fees I suspect it is because the light is actually coming in from the US, rather than overseas.

It will no doubt be marked as country of origin - China, and yet coming in from the US, so .......

Ripe pickings for Customs.

I expect I will get dinged Monday as I see from the DHL website that my parcel is in Ohio this morning.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

I think you will be Ok Two Jack. I was charged $8:95 total to BC for my xera though thelast time it cost me $41 duty on a $60 item with a different courier. Bloody criminal!!!!!!!!


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

indebt said:


> I think you will be Ok Two Jack. I was charged $8:95 total to BC for my xera though thelast time it cost me $41 duty on a $60 item with a different courier. Bloody criminal!!!!!!!!


Good to hear, that is just the Canada Post handling charge.

Yes, the courier cos. are the biggest problem. I usually only order if I know the goods are coming by USPS. Will never order items if they are coming UPS or Fedex.

I was going to order a couple of extra battery packs just to pre-prepare for the coming winter but figured I will wait until I see what actually happens when the package hits the front door.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

How about a deal where if you buy 2 Xeras you get a free upgrade on one of them to a 4 cell?


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

The night riding season is here and couldn't wait another rideless day...ordered my Xera. Any idea how long these will take to get to N. Cali?


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

sbd said:


> The night riding season is here and couldn't wait another rideless day...ordered my Xera. Any idea how long these will take to get to N. Cali?


Im in Norcal also. I received mine in 3 days. Shipped Sunday and DHL delivered it 11am Tuesday.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Thanks...that is pretty dang fast. How are you liking it?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

We've just sent out another lot of the 1st Gen XERA because we didn't want to keep people waiting.

@sbd
Delivery to the USA is 3 days.

@88rex
We're trying out best to keep this affordable. 2 XERAs already qualify for free shipping


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

thanks!


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

3rd ride now with my new Xera. The first 2 were on familar somewhat easy trails to get the feel of night riding and the lights in general. This time out a group ride in some very technical and rocky terrain (typical New England). Since this is my first foray into night riding I have nothing to compare it to but I must say I'm very happy with this little light so far. Even on faster downhills it was fine, especially after training myself to use the beam in the correct way (ie..look where you want to go) Ran it on medium for 2+ hours and the button remained green the entire time (2 cell battery) so next time I'll try the high setting and spoil myself. It's so light with the 2 cell pack you really don't feel it up on the helmet and the switch is easy to operate with regular gloves on and also a slightly heavier pair of XC ski gloves I used the other night in colder temps. I've already ordered a 2nd battery pack. I think for the money you can't go wrong here. Very lightweight, good light power and a beautiful smooth beam with no hot spot.

:thumbsup::thumbsup: for the light
:thumbsup::thumbsup: for customer service


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

Gemini Lights said:


> @88rex
> We're trying out best to keep this affordable. 2 XERAs already qualify for free shipping


Understandable. I know ya'll need to eat too. 

Can't wait to get my lights. :thumbsup:


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

........


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## thetoque (Mar 6, 2008)

Got my Xera and an extra battery pack yesterday, had them both charged up in time for a group night ride. I put the Xera with 2-cell on my helmet, and ran the Gemini 4-cell with my Magicshine (Mickey-mouse) 1400 on the bars. We rode some fast singletrack and a climbed up to a black diamond switchback descent called Cheshire Cat, finished with some highspeed singletrack. 
It was my first time using the gear, and set-up was ridiculously easy. The Gemini O-rings seem much tighter than the other (black) ones I had. The Xera lamp mount was very firm, and stayed put through more than 2 hours of fairly aggressive BC coastal riding. I had the 4-cell just strapped to my stem with a few generic velcro straps, with a bit of foam between the battery and the stem to prevent rattle- it never budged, even when I slid out. The beam had a good balance of spread and throw, providing what I feel to be a superior helmet lamp over my old Magicshine 900. The battery life was never an issue, although I toggle down for climbs so I probably haven't really tested the capacity with accuracy. Oh, the DHL arrived in 9-days (Canada) and only took $10 in taxes. Great deal in my books, good stuff Gemini!


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

......


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Its probably a customs fee.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Two Jack said:


> Ok, now I'm really confused. The tag they left me is for $15.
> 
> Do they just make the numbers up?


in a word .... yes

it is suppose to be a calculation of taxes owed and import duties yet I have never found a formula that is used to get these numbers. (ie 5%of the total) UPS is the rapist of the all the couriers, their brokerage fees are terrible. I once paid $30 in brokerage fees for a $15 deraillure.

Having said that, if person A orders one light and person B orders two lights then that could explain $10 vs the $15.

P.S you also have the right to refuse the package if you feel the fees are out of line, however if you pay for the package there is no complaint and refund dept.


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## thetoque (Mar 6, 2008)

I found Fedex to be the absolute worst for tacked on shipping fees. I received a package once, and paid taxes. Later, the scavenging vultures sent me a bill in the mail for additional "brokerage" and "service" fees. THey already received money from the shipper, and then proceeded to put the screws to me. When I told them to stuff it in a can, they threatened me with calling a collection agency. After many months of idiotic conversations with various levels of Fedex incompetency, I had my bill waived, after repeatedly insisting I had never agreed to any additional service fees, and it would be a cold day in hell when they pried another nickel out of my pocket. However, I wonder how many poor suckers order something, pay for shipping, and then get screwed into paying again by a consumer-aggressive company that likes to use threats to make money. Kudos to Gemini for using DHL, I have no problems paying tax (and or duty) when necessary.


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## rzims (Sep 7, 2005)

So, I ordered my light last Friday, do you know if that would have been gone out with the shipment that went out this week?


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## vtsteevo (Jan 19, 2010)

Same. I ordered mine on 10/15 and it's in "Delayed" status.


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

[.............


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Two Jack said:


> Ok, now I'm really confused. The tag they left me is for $15.


Hi Two Jack,

Canada Customs & Border Agency has a tax code for everything that comes in. If they're unsure of the value of goods, then they look at the description "Bike Light" and assign the specified tax code value. Your order contains two lights, so I guess it's double what other customers are receiving (because they only receive one light).

There isn't really a way around taxes. If the purchase was made locally, HST would charge significantly more. I hope this clarifies anybody's questions with customs fees.

And one more thing, DHL should have a go at another delivery attempt. It's usually around the same time depending on the delivery route and the driver. They may change it up a bit by about 2 hours or so. If you don't have anybody to sign for it and you're not home during hours, you can arrange to pick it up at their location and they will not load it on their delivery trucks.

I hope you get your lights soon.

Cheers,

Chris

@vtseevo
PM sent.

@rzims
If your order was sent, you would receive a tracking number. Could you please PM me your name and order number?


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## mrradlos (Sep 3, 2010)

Chris

Is GeminiLights going to send a Xera to Francis for the 2012 shootout?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Yes, we have a XERA 1st Gen in transit to Francis. The XERA 2nd Gen will follow suit soon after.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I ordered on Monday am also "delayed". Any idea when these will hit the road?


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

just wondering...its been a few weeks any word on the new lights...aching to make an order but want to get both (potentialy) at the same time.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Gemini Lights said:


> Yes, we have a XERA 1st Gen in transit to Francis. The XERA 2nd Gen will follow suit soon after.


Sorry if this was posted before (I did look a bit, but couldn't find anything). But what's the difference between Gen 1 and Gen 2? I order a light on the 14th, but I'm not sure which is coming. Help?

Thanks!


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

1st generation has low/med/high/flash settings, 2nd generation will give you the option of adjusting each of the 1st gen's settings in 10% increments. So ten different levels of brightness per default setting including flash. Thats if i remembered correctly.


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

I wish you all the success in the world.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Oh Man Two Jack, that sucks!!! How frustrated you must be with DHL.Hope as i'm typing here your light shows up.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

@TwoJack,

We've spoken to our DHL rep and made it clear that the service provided for you was unacceptable. If the first delivery attempt failed, then a second delivery attempt should be followed up the very next day.

We're sorry for your bad experience.

@TobyGadd,
XERA 1st Gen has 4 set modes, LOW/MED/HIGH and FLASH. The XERA 2nd Gen has user programming enabled with a new circuit board allowing you to adjust the brightness levels for each of the modes. Precisely what indebt said.

@stinkyto
The triple XM-L is aiming for a mid-November launch. Can you wait that long?


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

triple XML? any specs or pictures of that?


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

We had a 1st Gen Xera to test beside an XM-L Piko 3 750 lumen. Results were impressive, the Xera had a cooler color and a smoother more intense beam pattern. We will give the Xera an extended field test at a 24 hour solo in a couple of weeks. Great job Gemini it really is a nicely designed lighthead :thumbsup:



indebt said:


> I wish i had the XML Piko to do a side by side as based on memory the Xera to me may have an edge but not fair to over judge without the side by side.


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

An update for those of you who have seen my previous plaintive rants ......

I went out to the DHL depot this morning to see what the story is only to discover that it is no longer the DHL depot, it is the Loomis depot (again).

This is what happens when companies buy and sell bits of themselves, and then sell the bits back again.

All local freight ( inside NA) goes Loomis. International gets handed off to DHL, inbound international comes to the Loomis warehouse, where DHL have refused to give Loomis a contract to deliver it for them.

So, DHL have one employee charged with the whole metro area and the Loomis people say they get someone like me, every day, saying it's been 5 days, where's my stuff?

Long story short, depot manager gets the driver on the phone and blasts him and then in a scene out of James Bond I have to arrange a place where I will meet him on the side of the road to get my lights.

Which I now have, in spite of the politics involved.

Beautiful lights, nicely finished, small, light and astoundingly bright - even in the daylight.

Well done.


Edit to add:

Any plans to offer one of these little beauties with a red lens as a taillight option??


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## angelo (Sep 3, 2004)

*Timeline?*



vtsteevo said:


> Same. I ordered mine on 10/15 and it's in "Delayed" status.


I'm in the same boat-any updates?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

GEOMAN said:


> We had a 1st Gen Xera to test beside an XM-L Piko 3 750 lumen. Results were impressive, the Xera had a cooler color and a smoother more intense beam pattern. We will give the Xera an extended field test at a 24 hour solo in a couple of weeks. Great job Gemini it really is a nicely designed lighthead :thumbsup:


Thanks GeoMan. We're glad you like the XERA. The 24 hour solo should be a great test. Good luck in your race! :thumbsup:

@TwoJack,
We're glad you've received your lights. As for the red lens and tail light option, I'm afraid we don't carry any. If we were to step into the tail light arena, I'm sure we could design something much more suitable and smaller. 

@angelo,
I've sent you a PM.


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

Gemini, I'm in the same boat as a few others. Ordered my lights on the 14th and status is still listed as "delayed". Are you waiting on the 2nd gen lights? Thanks.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Updates: XERA 2nd Gen should be shipping by Thursday or Friday this week.

The user program works perfectly and the light is actually more efficient than the 1st Gen.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

My luck.....my wife goes out for an hour and she missed the DHL guy. Guess I'll have to wait another day.  I really like the tracking system with DHL (first time I've used it) and pretty darn fast shipping from China.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

*how programmable?*

I read earlier that gen1 Xera must go through the off position to cycle back to a previously used light level. I'm wondering, with the programmable gen2, if we can set it to cycle through A/B/C with each button press and only turn off with a button hold (2 sec)? Like the Geoman Magicshines...


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

icycle said:


> I read earlier that gen1 Xera must go through the off position to cycle back to a previously used light level. I'm wondering, with the programmable gen2, if we can set it to cycle through A/B/C with each button press and only turn off with a button hold (2 sec)? Like the Geoman Magicshines...


Hmm, must be something to do with gen1, I just found and read the Xera manual (http://gemini-lights.com/sites/default/files/manual/xera-manual.pdf) and found:

button press when off turns on
button press when on cycles a/b/c
button hold (1s) when on turns off
button hold (1s) when off enters flash mode
long button hold (3s) when on programs mode you're currently in

Question answered, as long as the manual is right :thumbsup:


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

Just placed my order for 1-2cell and 1-4cell Xera. Now to begin the waiting process


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

icycle said:


> Just placed my order for 1-2cell and 1-4cell Zera. Now to begin the waiting process


Jumping in hook, line, and sinker eh? I think you will be very happy with the lights. Now I know you were also looking at the DiNotte XML-3 so don't expect that performance from the single XML LED of the Xera but with 2 you should be fine.

I would also like to be able to just cycle through the modes without the light turning off but it's not a biggie really. If version 2 can do that then great but I wont lose sleep over it if it doesn't.

Gemini emailed me that my free version 2 should ship this week and also mentioned a new optional Xera reflector that's also just about finalized. Not sure what this is about yet but my guess is a different beam pattern. Nice to have options available.

I think they also have another new light due out in Nov. at some point. Good stuff coming from Gemini it seems.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

skidad said:


> Jumping in hook, line, and sinker eh? I think you will be very happy with the lights. Now I know you were also looking at the DiNotte XML-3 so don't expect that performance from the single XML LED of the Xera but with 2 you should be fine.


I was still thinking of getting the XML-3...we'll see. The second light is for my son, and also allows for flexibility in whether I use a 2 or 4 cell battery on my rides.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

icycle said:


> I was still thinking of getting the XML-3...we'll see. The second light is for my son, and also allows for flexibility in whether I use a 2 or 4 cell battery on my rides.


LOL..we think alike. My son was very excited to hear I had the second Xera coming as well (with 2 cell pack and helmet mount). I'm really tempted to also get the same DiNotte or maybe even the 1200L Plus. Probably will wait till the end of the light shootout and also see what Gemini has up their sleeve. As is I already have a 650B front wheel being built up for his bike. Spoiled kid!


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I didnt get a email regarding the 2nd gen yet. Daylight savings is less than 2 weeks away. With the 2nd gen coming soon I will be running 2 Xera on the bar and 1 Xera on the helmet. I cant wait. =D


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

We have the Gen 1 with reflector and Gen 1 with optic, our observations were that the reflector prototype produced approx 12 degree hotspot with the usual spill from the reflector style lightheads. What we liked about the reflector version was, if you only had a single light on your helmet and nothing on the bars the spill from the reflector provides reasonable flood and the hotspot helps you pick your line further down the trail. What we liked about the 16 degree optic version was a very smooth cool white beam pattern with minimal spill; the reflector version definitely has a warmer color probably from the reflector itself. By controlling the spill with the optic the Xera is also able to be used nicely on a roadbike without overly dazzling drivers coming in the opposite direction, it's great to see and be seen without spilling much light and blinding drivers.



skidad said:


> Jumping in hook, line, and sinker eh? I think you will be very happy with the lights. Now I know you were also looking at the DiNotte XML-3 so don't expect that performance from the single XML LED of the Xera but with 2 you should be fine.
> 
> I would also like to be able to just cycle through the modes without the light turning off but it's not a biggie really. If version 2 can do that then great but I wont lose sleep over it if it doesn't.
> 
> ...


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

GEOMAN said:


> We have the Gen 1 with reflector and Gen 1 with optic, our observations were that the reflector prototype produced approx 12 degree hotspot with the usual spill from the reflector style lightheads. What we liked about the reflector version was, if you only had a single light on your helmet and nothing on the bars the spill from the reflector provides reasonable flood and the hotspot helps you pick your line further down the trail. What we liked about the 16 degree optic version was a very smooth cool white beam pattern with minimal spill; the reflector version definitely has a warmer color probably from the reflector itself. By controlling the spill with the optic the Xera is also able to be used nicely on a roadbike without overly dazzling drivers coming in the opposite direction, it's great to see and be seen without spilling much light and blinding drivers.


 GEOMAN - I just wanted to remind you that you can get exactly the same effects from
The MS 808 & 808E's you currently sell by just adding an action wide angle lens available on ebay. For less than 5$ it makes these lights so much more usefull I'm suprised you don't sell something like this.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Thanks for headsup. We've tried a number of the aftermarket lens upgrades to see if we could find something that would benefit all MJ-808(E) owners, but weren't convinced that any really did exactly what we were looking for. We tested the prototype of the one you mentioned in July 2010 and weren't sold on it. The newer style optics tend to enhance the beam pattern rather than diffuse it, if we can find an optic like that for the MJ-808(E) we'd definitely be interested.



MRMOLE said:


> GEOMAN - I just wanted to remind you that you can get exactly the same effects from
> The MS 808 & 808E's you currently sell by just adding an action wide angle lens available on ebay. For less than 5$ it makes these lights so much more usefull I'm suprised you don't sell something like this.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

A riding buddy had his Xera out tonight. Pretty amazing little package, I'm impressed. The light is TINY, maybe less than half the size of my MJ808. The beam pattern is much more of a flood, but still has a decent size spot. The brightness on high is definitely brighter than the 808, and there is more spill. So I guess the best of both worlds, and a really great light for the helmet as both the 2 cell pack and the light head can be up there and it isn't too heavy. The finish on the light was very good too and looks purpose-built and high quality...definitely worth the $150 I would say as long as it stands the test of time.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

GEOMAN said:


> We have the Gen 1 with reflector and Gen 1 with optic, our observations were that the reflector prototype produced approx 12 degree hotspot with the usual spill from the reflector style lightheads. What we liked about the reflector version was, if you only had a single light on your helmet and nothing on the bars the spill from the reflector provides reasonable flood and the hotspot helps you pick your line further down the trail. What we liked about the 16 degree optic version was a very smooth cool white beam pattern with minimal spill; the reflector version definitely has a warmer color probably from the reflector itself. By controlling the spill with the optic the Xera is also able to be used nicely on a roadbike without overly dazzling drivers coming in the opposite direction, it's great to see and be seen without spilling much light and blinding drivers.


Comparison beamshots, please!! 

*Gemini: *Do you have any more info on the availability of the reflector? When you send out the 2.gen Xera to those who pre-ordered - is it possible to include the reflector also, for an upcharge?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

I will post a comparison beamshot picture of the XERA reflector and optic. For those wishing to purchase the reflector in future, the swap in is really, really easy. It takes about 10 seconds (unscrew, pop in, screw tight).


























@langen
We plan to start shipping 2nd Gen XERA by the end of this week.. the reflector you see in the picture is the newest prototype and we have not made it into production yet. Possibly in about 10 days, we may start shipping the XERA reflectors. The beam is very nice for those who like the hotspot + wide spill style. Tonight I will take beam chart photos and trail shot photos of the two XERAs.

I don't believe the reflectors will be very expensive so it will be a nice cheap option for XERA users to get some versatility out of their light.

Francis of MTBR has just received the XERA 1st Gen. We will be sending the 2nd Gen XERA and reflector to him very soon. After that, the triple XM-L Gemini Light will be delivered for testing as well. The triple will be smaller than the TITAN.  Now, you can have a slick Gemini setup for both bars and helmet.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Gemini Lights said:


> @langen
> We plan to start shipping 2nd Gen XERA by the end of this week.. the reflector you see in the picture is the newest prototype and we have not made it into production yet. Possibly in about 10 days, we may start shipping the XERA reflectors. The beam is very nice for those who like the hotspot + wide spill style. Tonight I will take beam chart photos and trail shot photos of the two XERAs.


Great!


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

Gemini Lights said:


> @langen
> We plan to start shipping 2nd Gen XERA by the end of this week..* the reflector you see in the picture is the newest prototype and we have not made it into production yet. Possibly in about 10 days, we may start shipping the XERA reflectors. The beam is very nice for those who like the hotspot + wide spill style. *Tonight I will take beam chart photos and trail shot photos of the two XERAs.
> 
> I don't believe the reflectors will be very expensive so it will be a nice cheap option for XERA users to get some versatility out of their light.
> ...


 I can't wait to see the reflector version of the XERA. If the beam pattern looks nice and tight you could have one of the nicest Bar/Helmet adaptable light systems in the industry...not to mention one of lightest/smallest set-ups as well...we're talking back to back home runs here.

Now just when I thought you have really out done yourself then I find out that you're coming out with a triple XML! Glory BE! Can I stand the strain!....time to go out to renew the Xanax prescription.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Cat-man-do said:


> I can't wait to see the reflector version of the XERA. If the beam pattern looks nice and tight you could have one of the nicest Bar/Helmet adaptable light systems in the industry...not to mention one of lightest/smallest set-ups as well...we're talking back to back home runs here.


Couldn't agree more!


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

What are 2cell folks seeing for average Xera run times on high? Closer to 2 or 2.5 hours? Chris @ Gemini mentioned the Gen2 Xera is more efficient, will this have much impact on this?

thanks


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

Cat-man-do said:


> I can't wait to see the reflector version of the XERA. If the beam pattern looks nice and tight you could have one of the nicest Bar/Helmet adaptable light systems in the industry...not to mention one of lightest/smallest set-ups as well...we're talking back to back home runs here.
> 
> Now just when I thought you have really out done yourself then I find out that you're coming out with a triple XML! Glory BE! Can I stand the strain!....time to go out to renew the Xanax prescription.


*+2*:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

icycle said:


> What are 2cell folks seeing for average Xera run times on high? Closer to 2 or 2.5 hours? Chris @ Gemini mentioned the Gen2 Xera is more efficient, will this have much impact on this?
> 
> thanks


@icycle
XERA run times are stated at 2+ hours for the 2-cell. For the 1st Gen XERA, you can expect 2 hours on high. Anything below maximum gives great run times way beyond 2+ hours.

I'm out to shoot those trail shots and beam chart shots for you guys (reflector vs optics). See you soon.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Cat-man-do said:


> Now just when I thought you have really out done yourself then I find out that you're coming out with a triple XML! Glory BE! Can I stand the strain!....time to go out to renew the Xanax prescription.


WAY cool...Will be very interesting to see how this new triple Gemini will compare to the DiNotte XML-3 which would appear to be it's main competition. I'll tell you this, between MTBR and the CPF light forums my credit card and PayPal accounts have been working overtime :bluefrown: Still, I can't wait to see this new light.

GEMINI...I know the Xera has an 18 degree beam spread. What spread will the new XML triple have ?  Also, what will the lumen output be rated at??


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## sherpaxc (Aug 12, 2005)

Wow, all this new talk of reflectors and what not. I kind of feel like my Titan is outdated and I haven't even recieved it yet. I kind of wish I spent the extra 50 now and just got that.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

sherpaxc said:


> Wow, all this new talk of reflectors and what not. I kind of feel like my Titan is outdated and I haven't even recieved it yet. I kind of wish I spent the extra 50 now and just got that.


@sherpaxc
PM me your name and order number and I will make an exchange for you.

@skidad
The triple XM-L will be rated between 1500-1700 lumens, depending on how hard we choose to drive the LEDs. We beam angle will be 25°.

As promised, here are the XERA beam shots - Optics vs Reflector:



















Outdoor shot was taken with MTBR settings: ISO100, Daylight, F4 and 6 seconds.


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## adamjt (Mar 27, 2009)

Wow. The reflector lights up close so much better than the optic. Check out that bush on the bottom right. Definately ordering a reflector to try!


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## rzims (Sep 7, 2005)

just got my Xera - this thing looks REALLY nice. I knew it was going to be fairly small but had no idea it was going to be this small.
Tomorrow night's ride will be a perfect test. We have a loop that is right about 2 hours.
Can't wait to get out and try this thing. 
I'll be pairing this as a head lamp with last year's magicshine on the bars.....

Rode last night with the Xera and 2 cell on the helmet and the magicshine on the bars.
The Xera and battery work great on the helmet and aren't even noticeable up there.
The combo of the two lights made for a perfect package. Never once outran the beam and a couple of times I was really flying along 
My ride was 1:45 and I had both on high the entire time with no noticeable fading

I really dig this little light....


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

*With the reflector I think this is going to be the helmet light of this year. with out a doubt I got to get one of these:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:*


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

Okay, you guys sold me (all of you but in particular, I am so impressed with how much participation there has been from the mfg...seriously well done here).

I do have one question before I add to cart...ideally, I'd get the 4 cell Xera (and may still) but I'm trying to be budget conscious as well. My plan at this point will be to run my L&M on the helmet (unless the color thing just throws me too off) and the Gemini on the bars for off road and probably just the Gemini on the bars on the road. If my L&M craps out completely, I'll then move the Gemini to the helmet for trail duty. That said, the Titan with the XM-L leds is really appealing at its price point and from the beam tests, looks to be a great performer albeit a little tight. The Xera is going to run me $70 more for the 4 cell and while its lighter and I love the beam pattern (not sure the weight really matters that much to me since I'm coming from a heavy NiMH setup), I just wonder if I'd be that much happier with it over the Titan for that much more money. Any thoughts before I pull the trigger?


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## adamjt (Mar 27, 2009)

namaSSte said:


> Okay, you guys sold me (all of you but in particular, I am so impressed with how much participation there has been from the mfg...seriously well done here).
> 
> I do have one question before I add to cart...ideally, I'd get the 4 cell Xera (and may still) but I'm trying to be budget conscious as well. My plan at this point will be to run my L&M on the helmet (unless the color thing just throws me too off) and the Gemini on the bars for off road and probably just the Gemini on the bars on the road. If my L&M craps out completely, I'll then move the Gemini to the helmet for trail duty. That said, the Titan with the XM-L leds is really appealing at its price point and from the beam tests, looks to be a great performer albeit a little tight. The Xera is going to run me $70 more for the 4 cell and while its lighter and I love the beam pattern (not sure the weight really matters that much to me since I'm coming from a heavy NiMH setup), I just wonder if I'd be that much happier with it over the Titan for that much more money. Any thoughts before I pull the trigger?


I got a Xera and a Titan both with the 4 cell hard case battery. I had a hard time deciding between the two, but Gemini said the Xera was much better, so I took their word. Decided I should get a 2nd 4 cell battery since I always forget to charge them. A titan was only a small amount more than getting the 4 cell battery alone, so I got the Titan to try too.

My initial impression comparing both in the backyard when I got the DHL package is that the Xera is MUCH better. The first time I turned both on my jaw kinda dropped at the difference between the two!

If you want to wait until tonight, it looks like the rain will hold off and I could take both out on the trail to compare for you. I haven't taken the Titan out on the trail yet. The Xera is awesome though!


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

adamjt said:


> If you want to wait until tonight, it looks like the rain will hold off and I could take both out on the trail to compare for you. I haven't taken the Titan out on the trail yet. The Xera is awesome though!


If you don't mind, I'd love to hear your post ride thoughts. I'll be sitting here with paypal login primed and ready man! Thanks.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

My Xera came today, and as others have stated it is SMALL. Compared to my circa 1993 Niterider in is puny!!! It is on the charger. Waiting for darkness...


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## BrokenBones (Feb 4, 2005)

Nama, I'm using an L&M Arc on my helmet and a single XERA (gen 1) on the bars right now, and both complement each other very well. There are no freaky color clashes and the beams work well together. I ordered a second 2-cell battery to arrive with my free light head, and plan to mount both on the bars and continue using my Arc. That should be a very nice, bright setup. In hindsight though, I probably should have ordered the 4-cell battery and a Y connector instead, as that would be much easier to mount up. If you still have time to choose between 2-cell and 4-cell you should give that some thought. The 2-cell batteries are very small though, and a really nice package (that can also be helmet mounted). Decisions, decisions...
One thing is certain though; the XERA is a _very_ impressive light package.


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

BrokenBones said:


> Nama, I'm using an L&M Arc on my helmet and a single XERA (gen 1) on the bars right now, and both complement each other very well. There are no freaky color clashes and the beams work well together. I ordered a second 2-cell battery to arrive with my free light head, and plan to mount both on the bars and continue using my Arc. That should be a very nice, bright setup. In hindsight though, I probably should have ordered the 4-cell battery and a Y connector instead, as that would be much easier to mount up. If you still have time to choose between 2-cell and 4-cell you should give that some thought. The 2-cell batteries are very small though, and a really nice package (that can also be helmet mounted). Decisions, decisions...
> One thing is certain though; the XERA is a _very_ impressive light package.


Thanks Bones, that does help. I think the 4 cell is definitely the way to go too.


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## adamjt (Mar 27, 2009)

namaSSte said:


> If you don't mind, I'd love to hear your post ride thoughts. I'll be sitting here with paypal login primed and ready man! Thanks.


Just got back from the woods. Went on a dirt rail trail and on a bumpy single track. I tried to compare the Titan XM-L and the Xera optic in both the helmet and bar positions. Never realized what I was missing out on with a good handlebar and a good helmet light combo, makes a world of difference and worth the money!

These two lights are very hard to compare with one being an optic and one a reflector. I think Gemini's pics of the Xera optic vs Xera reflector are the best comparison I can make of the Titan XM-L (reflector) vs Xera optic. It's hard to tell for sure, but I'd say the Xera reflector is going to be better than the Titan XM-L's reflector based on my comparison and the Gemini pic comparison of the two Xera's. So, I plan on getting the reflector for my 2nd gen Xera to compare combo vs combo.

The Xera optic is almost like having one wide hotspot, it's nice and spread out with a good gradient, no sharp cutoffs between light bands or darkness. I found the Xera optic to be great on the helmet, pointing it where I was riding. It is kind of a jack of all trades, some flood, but good distance.

The Titan XM-L seems to spread light wider (like the Xera reflector does in the pics above...see the bush in the lower right and how the test screen is slightly lit up further out), but gets a tad darker midrange and with a bright hotspot. I don't find a hotspot like this as useful as the Xera optic's spread out spot/flood. I ended up placeing the Titan XM-L reflector on the bar, since the light spread is wider.

Even though it looks dim at the outer edges of the flood on the Gemini pics, I rode fine with it. I liked the Xera optic better on the helmet. When the tripple comes out, I will probably put that on the bar instead though. That said, I think I would probably like 2 of the Xera optics (pointing one high and one low) over the Xera optic/Titan XM-L combo, but that would have cost me another $70 with the 4 cell, almost as much as a Titan.

As far as the heat coming off the lights. I noticed the Xera got warmer faster, which is to be expected since it is smaller. Both stayed at reasonable temps! Good job with that small housing!!!!

Batteries: I have 2 of the 4 cell batteries. I would rather have 2x 2 cells and 1x 4 cell, but this is cost prohibitive for me and I'm happy with my choice. I fully planned on putting the 4 cell for the helmet in my camelback. For this ride, I placed it on the rear of the helmet. You can definitely feel the 4 cell up there, but I wear full face helmets (heavier) snowmobiling so this didn't really bother me. I got used to it, but it could bother some. If you 100% always want the battery on your helmet, get the 2 cell. To me the 4 cell is more versatile, especially when I can put a y adapter on it and still get good time from it. If I bust a frame in the woods, the 4 cell will get me home while walking!!

Overall: If you get one light, get the Xera. If you can afford 2 lights and can't wait for the Xera reflector, get a Xera Optic and a Titan XM-L, unless you have another $70 to drop on 2 Xera's....I didn't.

Hope that helped a bit!


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I just lit up my backyard since I couldn't ride tonight. Very impressive output. Also fit easily on my crowded tapered bars...nice. Also like the stretchy no-rattle strap that secures the battery. Stoked with my purchase.


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

@ Adam... Thanks a ton for your ride report man. Tons of great observations there. I decided to order the 4 cell Xera and I'm stoked. I'll definitely post my impressions once I receive it but I suspect I'll be as thrilled as everyone else. Still plan on putting the L&M on top and even trying to rebuild an old pack for it. Guess well see how that goes but if it doesn't go well, the Xera is still over twice the Lm rating of what I'm used to so it should get the job done alone if need be.

Thanks again for all the help.

Peace.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

Does it use the same cable as the Magicshine 900? It looks similar, so I have some doubts. I have found that with my primary use being running and skiing, where there is more constant cable flexing, the extension cable or battery lead wire is only good for 2 weeks to a month before it cracks. The wire in the Magicshine cable is really small in diameter, and the sheath cracks with use, especially in the cold (winter here often gets below 0 F). I'm currently without a working light because I don't feel like contacting Geoman every few weeks just for a cable. (Planning on rewiring my Magicshine with speaker cable? or something eventually, when I get my recall battery.)

I was planning on purchasing the Piko 3 just to not have to deal with worrying about cable breakage (maybe I'm presuming the Lupine is more reliable than it really is?), but if I can be reassured that the cable on the Nera is better than it looks, I will probably go for the Nera.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

@xcandrew
We haven't had any issues with our cables in cold weather. Having used it for mountain biking, where there is more abuse (frame rub, crashes, handlebar movement flex) we don't find the cable letting us down. However, such a problem would most definitely be covered by our warranty.

@adamjt
Thank you very much for your detailed report. We agree 100% with everything you've said.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Apologies we didn't post beam images of our Gen 1 prototype reflector, there were so many changes between the model we have been testing and the new Gen 2 with reflector. We didn't want to cause confusion on this thread. The newest grey XERA has the LED pushed back deeper into the case, as such the new optics and reflector are both taller than the previous version, this has changed the beam pattern a little.



langen said:


> Comparison beamshots, please!!
> 
> *Gemini: *Do you have any more info on the availability of the reflector? When you send out the 2.gen Xera to those who pre-ordered - is it possible to include the reflector also, for an upcharge?


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Well, i guess it's official, at 71 measured lux the Xera is brighter than the XML Piko and several other lights claiming higher lumens. Congratulations Gemini!!!! On your Xera.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

xcandrew said:


> Does it use the same cable as the Magicshine 900? It looks similar, so I have some doubts. I have found that with my primary use being running and skiing, where there is more constant cable flexing, the extension cable or battery lead wire is only good for 2 weeks to a month before it cracks. The wire in the Magicshine cable is really small in diameter, and the sheath cracks with use, especially in the cold (winter here often gets below 0 F). I'm currently without a working light because I don't feel like contacting Geoman every few weeks just for a cable. (Planning on rewiring my Magicshine with speaker cable? or something eventually, when I get my recall battery.)
> 
> I was planning on purchasing the Piko 3 just to not have to deal with worrying about cable breakage (maybe I'm presuming the Lupine is more reliable than it really is?), but if I can be reassured that the cable on the Nera is better than it looks, I will probably go for the Nera.


I have a magicshine extension cable and the 1m xera cable is slightly thinner, 8g lighter, and is more flexible. I will be using the Xera for snowboarding but not enough snow over here yet.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

I had my first ride with 2 Xeras, one on the bars and one on the helmet, and just want to briefly say that I love the set-up! I love the all around smoothness of the throw of the light. It's so darn lightweight that even with the battery on the helmet it was still almost like it wasn't even there. 

I have the 2 cell battery for both, but can see myself eventually buying a 4 cell for the bars, especially when I get my Gen 2 replacement heads. A splitter with 2 Xeras on the bars and one on the helmet = 

I can't wait to be able to do custom programming with the light settings and I'd definitely be interested in giving a reflector a try.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

indebt said:


> *Well, i guess it's official, at 71 measured lux the Xera is brighter than the XML Piko and several other lights claiming higher lumens. Congratulations Gemini!!!! On your Xera.*


Thanks indebt! We're pretty happy with the result. We've always measured high lux ratings in our labs, but we weren't quite sure of the MTBR settings and a comparison with other lights.


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## Niner21 (Mar 12, 2011)

How long has everyone been waiting to get this light??? I placed my order on the 15th. Just wondering how long the wait has been for most.


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

Niner, Chris mentioned to me a few days ago that lights could be shipping by tomorrow possibly. If that's the case, well be using them sometime this coming week.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Niner21 said:


> How long has everyone been waiting to get this light??? I placed my order on the 15th. Just wondering how long the wait has been for most.


Hi Niner21,

You should be receiving your light this week, most probably on Wednesday.

An email should have been sent with your DHL tracking info.

Cheers,

Chris


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Niner21,
> 
> You should be receiving your light this week, most probably on Wednesday.
> 
> ...


Chris, how bad is the backlog in orders? Are orders from last week shipping today as well? I'm guessing no since I dint get a DHL tracking number.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

@namaSSte,
Orders from last week will be shipping on Monday. I've sent you a PM.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Hi Chris, i'm wondering if you have an estimated lumen output on the default med setting on your Xera? I'm running some battery run times with my four cell that include the med setting. I think two Xera's could be a great affordable choice for those doing long solo races and was hoping to have a close guesstimate on output on the med setting. If i can get 6/8 hours on on that output, this would confirm as been a good choice with enough output and run times without having to pack extra battery's around. Thanx.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

*Xera run times!!!*

I've done a couple of run times on the Xera for those interested. Tests were done outside in aprox 45 degree tempurature in front of a fan. I checked the lamp head about twenty times and it barely got even worm thus no thermal issues. Times are based on full blast.

- 1st Run- High setting, orange led came on at 2:46, red led at 3:11, shut off at 3:51.
- 2nd Run- High setting, light shut off at 3:43.

Not sure on the eight minute difference, could be a charging inconsistency or slightly different ambient tempurature during the back up test the next day. Either way very good run times for 71 lux on a four cell battery.

I did one test on the med default setting. My objective was to see if the Xera would not only be bright enough at this setting, but burn long enough to be a contender for those doing long solo races. I think it passed with flying coulors.

- Med Test Run, orange led came on at 5:24, red led at 6:26, and it shut off at 7:32.

My conclusions are, at the med setting of which i could not find an official claimed output anywhere, this light is bright enough to ride at reasonable speeds. I just compared to my MS P-7, and i found the Xera at the med setting to be a little brighter than the MS at full blast. So two Xeras at med setting should be bright enough, and a very good choice for those not wanting to carry extra battery's on long races, or brake the bank as well.

If the more efficient gen2 Xera has run time improvement worthy of a mention, i will post results.

On a final note and one i found interesting, it was just three years that the best light in the buisness ( Lupine Betty) at $1100 had an MTBR lux measurment of 60lux. All i can say is,,,,, WOW!!! How far the technology has evolved. Cheers!!!


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Thanks for the testing, indebt. Great work, much appreciated.

Superb results. I'm looking forward to the arrival of my Xera!


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

@indebt,
Thank you for sharing your results. I'm sorry I couldn't have gotten back to you sooner. I've had lots of enquiries about using the XERA for solo racing. The charge time for the 2-cell battery is only 2:10 hours, so one could use a single XERA and have two 2-cell batteries in cycle. One can be charging at the camp and the other can be used on the bike/helmet. The runtime on the full 800 lumens is just under the charging time, so you can knock it down to medium on the uphills and slower sections to increase runtime beyond 2:10 hours. This setup will only weigh 220g as measured by MTBR.

1st Gen XERA has the presets at 100% - 50% - 20%. So the lumen output would be 800 - 400 - 160 lumens. As said before, 2nd Gen will have programming for 100 - 10% in 10% increments. You will have 3 save modes and 1 flash mode. The 2nd Gen XERA looks to be shipping next week.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

vtsteevo said:


> Anyone get a chance to compare Xera to the MS 808E yet?


I have the same question.

and... would it work with a geomangear battery?

I'm looking for something with more punch than my 808 on my helmet to pair with my 872 on my bars. I would like to purchase just the lighthead; it seems that the DiNotte XML-3 won't work with my current battery, but this one might.

Also, I'm not in a huge hurry. I think I might still have another month, maybe 6 weeks of riding left. I can wait a bit if Gemini is planning on releasing a 3 XM-L light-head in the coming year. and if it works with my current (GMG) battery....


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

@slyfink,
The XERA is compatible with GMG and MS batteries. I'm afraid we don't have a working MJ-808E available to test with. We would be keen on other users to chime in too. The triple XM-L will be launching later this month.

And just a reminder to everyone, while we say our lights are compatible with GMG and MS batteries, we always recommend charging the battery with only the designated charger.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Can't wait to see the new triple XML:thumbsup:

Ok something a bit different. I strapped up the Xera and my 2 cell battery pack to the supplied headband and went trail running last night on some pretty rocky/rooty trails. Needless to say the light was outstanding and I used the medium setting for most of the run. The weight and balance were fine and only a little bouncing of the head unit that really didn't bother me or was even noticeable for the most part. I could easily run with this on my head for a few hours no problem. If I have one suggestion _for running_ it would be to have the beam even more floody. There is no way you could ever outrun the the beam so more flood would be icing on the cake. As is it's still great.

I carried a handheld Spark SL6S-800CW torch with a diffusor lens which throws a lovely beam and was a good backup light if needed. spark technology

Now I also had a Spark SD6-500CW headlamp along to test as well. This is a pure flood headlamp using a single 18650 cell that puts out 500 lumens. Really cool light and gets the job done no problem but being so floody it's a much softer output. I ran it on high and like it that way best for my trails. Very comfy and no bouncing I could detect. Spark is going to have a screw on reflector piece at some point to reduce the huge flood pattern. spark technology


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

Gemini Lights said:


> @slyfink,
> The XERA is compatible with GMG and MS batteries. I'm afraid we don't have a working MJ-808E available to test with. We would be keen on other users to chime in too. The triple XM-L will be launching later this month.
> 
> And just a reminder to everyone, while we say our lights are compatible with GMG and MS batteries, we always recommend charging the battery with only the designated charger.


excellent! I smell a Christmas present to myself coming on!!! thanks.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Anymore shipment updates on the 2nd gen lights? Im use to running two lights so running one light has been slowing me down on rides.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

Just a quick note.

I had a chance to do a 40ish minute trail run last night and the headbelt worked great! I never bounced, got loose, or annoying. I was able to peacefully run without even realizing what was on my head. 

Now the reflection of deer eyes while running seems to be a little bit more creepy than when on the mountain bike.


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## PureMX (May 5, 2009)

88 rex said:


> Now the reflection of deer eyes while running seems to be a little bit more creepy than when on the mountain bike.


Agreed....except it's rabbit eyes here in central California.

That Xera is so blasted bright I swore I saw the reflection of moth eyes too!


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## Otto Matic (Oct 31, 2011)

@Gemini Lights
Hi, I'm very impressed by the Xera and ordered two a few hours ago, one for my wife and one for myself. We're very much looking forward to receiving them, and I don't mean to sound impatient, but I was already wondering when you think they'll ship?

The reason why I ask is I also ordered a couple of reflectors, and If I understood correctly the reflectors are not yet produced. So, my question is if the Xeras would be shipped earlier than the reflectors? We really look forward to a nightride in the forest:thumbsup:

Thanks,
Otto


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi Otto,

We will be shipping the 2nd Gen XERAs and reflectors by next week. Sorry for the wait.

Cheers,

Chris


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## Otto Matic (Oct 31, 2011)

@Gemini Lights
All good, thanks for the reply!

We both ordered 2cell batteries, and I'm wondering if we should have ordered an additional 4cell. I have to think about it, but if I find that we want a 4cell battery do you think you could ship it together with the rest if I order one before the weekend is over?

Thanks again.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi Otto,

Yes, not a problem. Just PM me or use the contact form on our website, whichever is the easiest for you.


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## Otto Matic (Oct 31, 2011)

Nice one.

I'm sorry to clutter up the tread with all this. A bit excited I guess, and by reading this thread it seems rightly so

Thanks again Chris.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I got my Xera onto some local single track last night. I ran it on high the entire time and I rode like the wind...so fun to be back out at night. Also rode a few high speed fire road connectors and was surprised that it performed better than on the single track. I guess thats a spot vs. flood thing. Regardless I had great viz and a great time...thanks Gemini.

On a side note I set mine on flash and used it to scary-up the house on Halloween, worked great for that too!


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Ok Gemini...it's Nov. now

How about a teaser pic of the upcoming triple XML


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

In addition to the teaser pic of the new light, how about a combo deal for the Xera and 3xml if we pre-order them/it. this could come in handy for those of us making Christmas lists. Buy both with 4cells get a 2cell free/discount
buy both get a first gen xera light head bonus. 
Just a suggestion from a greedy consumer who always wants more


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

*DHL tracking?*

Anyone see signs of life from the DHL tracking system? Mine's been stuck at latest status:


> Shipment information received as of: October 31, 2011 17:15


since Monday. Maybe it's on the boat...or plane. It's only been a couple days, but I'm so anxious to get my XERA!


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## rides2slow (Jun 18, 2007)

*same here*



icycle said:


> Anyone see signs of life from the DHL tracking system? Mine's been stuck at latest status:
> 
> since Monday. Maybe it's on the boat...or plane. It's only been a couple days, but I'm so anxious to get my XERA!


 Shipment information received as of: October 31, 2011 17:59


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## sherpaxc (Aug 12, 2005)

Got mine tonight after it being shipped out on Monday! DUDE, these things are AWESOME! Seriously good stuff. 
Signing off...one happy camper.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

sherpaxc said:


> Got mine tonight after it being shipped out on Monday! DUDE, these things are AWESOME! Seriously good stuff.
> Signing off...one happy camper.


Did u get the 1st gen or 2nd?


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

rides2slow said:


> Shipment information received as of: October 31, 2011 17:59


October 27.


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## LiveFreeThenDie (Mar 21, 2010)

So it weighs 52grams. Why is it that no one puts the dimensions of these things on their web sites? And I do mean no one.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Okay. We will soon be the first then 

More batches of XERAs are being shipped out today (1st Gen).


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

LiveFreeThenDie said:


> So it weighs 52grams. Why is it that no one puts the dimensions of these things on their web sites? And I do mean no one.


Headlight with attached wire - 57.9g 
Headlight measurement - 46mm x 31mm x 46mm (LxWxH) (measured with mount not including wire)


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## LiveFreeThenDie (Mar 21, 2010)

Ooooh. Very nice! A truly compact light. It would be a good choice for helmet.

Thanks for the measurements. Size *does* matter when you have a small bike frame and limited handlebar room.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

If this light won't fit, no light will fit. Its crazy small.


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## rides2slow (Jun 18, 2007)

*update*



rides2slow said:


> Shipment information received as of: October 31, 2011 17:59


Progress looks slow....

"Processed at Shenzhen - China, People's Republic November 04, 2011 00:20"


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

According to DHL, a status of "Shipment information received." means that they don't actually have have a package en route, just that the shipper has notified them that one should coming. I received the notice on October 31, and there has been no change yet.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

TobyGadd said:


> According to DHL, a status of "Shipment information received." means that they don't actually have have a package en route, just that the shipper has notified them that one should coming. I received the notice on October 31, and there has been no change yet.


Bummer... :cryin:

I was hoping it shipped out and DHL was just lax in updating the tracking info.

[email protected], any idea where the backup is?

thanks


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

My DHL updated today multiple times. Now says departed China so I'm guessing it's enroute. Keep checking guys, they are coming!

Excitement enhanced update...Xera is in Cinci, should be delivered tomorrow, perfect as daylight savings started today. Woot!

Update to the update....DHL just left and I am holding my new Xera and while I haven't used it yet, my first impression is that the hype is warranted. TINY, well built light and battery packs. Very professional packaging as well. Thanks Chris, you have definitely made a VERY positive impression on me with both your product and more, your service. can't wait to add that Gen 2 head now...


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## pdltrk (Jun 29, 2011)

stinkyto said:


> In addition to the teaser pic of the new light, how about a combo deal for the Xera and 3xml if we pre-order them/it. this could come in handy for those of us making Christmas lists. Buy both with 4cells get a 2cell free/discount
> buy both get a first gen xera light head bonus.
> Just a suggestion from a greedy consumer who always wants more


I am waiting for the 3xml to come out before I pull the trigger to get both at the same time. I was going to order the same battery combos like you mentioned. I would be all over a deal like that.:thumbsup:


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

icycle said:


> Bummer... :cryin:
> 
> I was hoping it shipped out and DHL was just lax in updating the tracking info.
> 
> ...


DHL is pretty darn good with their updates.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

Is the XERA Light Head currently shipping out? Website is stating Oct. 8th and the full kit in a week from HK. Website update for shipping coming?
Thanks


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

I ordered one a few days ago and have been told the 2nd generation Xera will start shipping this coming week, so Oct. 8th matches that.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

icycle said:


> Bummer... :cryin:
> 
> I was hoping it shipped out and DHL was just lax in updating the tracking info.
> 
> ...


I e-mailed Chris yesterday, asking him to check on my stalled shipment. His response: "I have checked with DHL. The package is still in our local hub, there is a new restriction on lithium ion batteries being transported via air. They are just finalizing the paperwork and apologize for the delay. I believe the tracking should be updated on Monday."

If I recall correctly, there was a recent story in the news about lithium batteries catching fire at an airport...


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## SixZeroSixOne (Jan 28, 2004)

Chris: a couple of questions for you...

I'm interested in the Xera

Your website and the posts on this thread seem to revolve around ordering direct from HK.
I'm in Vancouver Canada and would prefer to order from your Canadian dealer in Victoria. Is the price on the website still the same? (Would I be correct in assuming orders via the dealer will negate any requirement from me to pay import duty or do you still ship direct from HK?)

Having read thru most of this thread, you've got two versions of the Xera
(1) optics and no-programming
(2) reflector and programming.
Have I understood this correctly? What are the advantage are the pros and cons of reflector v optics?
And which version will the Canadian dealer have?

Finally, (for now!) what's the advantage of the 3XML version and will this be the same form factor as the current Xera?


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## mdemm (Aug 4, 2010)

Hey Chris,

Getting ready to purchase an Xera (Gen 2)... I've been in a holding pattern since hearing about your new 3 XM-L lighting system... Can you post / show us a few pictures of the 3 XM-L Light ??? Do you have a scheduled release date for same ??? Thanks, Chis


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

SixZeroSixOne said:


> ...Finally, (for now!) what's the advantage of the 3XML version and will this be the same form factor as the current Xera?


My thoughts....It could be that Gemini is observing the competition and as such, has the ability to add ( or delete ) features to make the product more marketable. This approach could back fire though. Christmas is coming up and many people are in the market for new lights. They need to know what the G-triple is going to look like and what features it will have to know whither or not to wait or buy another brand of higher output light.

As for me, I will wait to see what they come up with. If the system they come up with is as ground breaking as the Xera it will be worth the wait. Gemini has great XM-L optics and also has reflectors. A system using both could be sweet. Not to mention a programmable menu like the Xera. Now if they also design it with a remote option that would be the icing on the cake. A set up like that and I would soon find my bank account a little lower than usual.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

Cat-man-do said:


> My thoughts....It could be that Gemini is observing the competition and as such, has the ability to add ( or delete ) features to make the product more marketable. This approach could back fire though. Christmas is coming up and many people are in the market for new lights. They need to know what the G-triple is going to look like and what features it will have to know whither or not to wait or buy another brand of higher output light.
> 
> As for me, I will wait to see what they come up with. If the system they come up with is as ground breaking as the Xera it will be worth the wait. *Gemini has great XM-L optics and also has reflectors. A system using both could be sweet. *Not to mention a programmable menu like the Xera. Now if they also design it with a remote option that would be the icing on the cake. A set up like that and I would soon find my bank account a little lower than usual.


*Imagine this. optics on the 2 outside leds and a reflector in the center for throw and hotspot holy cow ouch Catman that would be insane:eekster:*


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Rakuman said:


> *Imagine this. optics on the 2 outside leds and a reflector in the center for throw and hotspot holy cow ouch Catman that would be insane:eekster:*


My thoughts exactly but from a previous post Gemini indicated the triple would be a 25 degree all in one head unit that was smaller than their current Titan light. We will see but I still like the idea of the 3 in 1 vs. the all in one LED housing setup. This would perhaps make it into a bar mount only though because of size?


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

I'm in the same boat - been thinking of ordering a second Xera and reflector setup but wondering about the new one so I'm sitting here hovering over the add to cart button.

Help us out and feed some info on this next light :thumbsup:

Ed


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## wetpaint (Sep 7, 2009)

I bought a couple of Titans and couldn't be happier. 2 of them have been awesome for mountain biking. Just one has been perfect for road riding, plenty of light for a 35-40mph decent.


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

Rakuman said:


> *Imagine this. optics on the 2 outside leds and a reflector in the center for throw and hotspot holy cow ouch Catman that would be insane:eekster:*


....or even better...The buyer gets to chose ( like with the Xera )...two optics, one reflector or two reflectors one optic. I think one optic is enough to even out the front area missed by the reflectors ( ..as if two XM-L with reflectors would miss anything. :yesnod: ) I just like the idea of more forward throw. I can't wait to see what system they actually come up with.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

TobyGadd said:


> I e-mailed Chris yesterday, asking him to check on my stalled shipment. His response: "I have checked with DHL. The package is still in our local hub, there is a new restriction on lithium ion batteries being transported via air. They are just finalizing the paperwork and apologize for the delay. I believe the tracking should be updated on Monday."
> 
> If I recall correctly, there was a recent story in the news about lithium batteries catching fire at an airport...


Looks like I'll be in business soon...ish:


> November 05, 2011 ... Shipment picked up
> November 06, 2011 ... Departed from DHL facility in Shenzhen - China, People's Republic


:thumbsup:


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

TobyGadd said:


> I e-mailed Chris yesterday, asking him to check on my stalled shipment. His response: "I have checked with DHL. The package is still in our local hub, there is a new restriction on lithium ion batteries being transported via air. They are just finalizing the paperwork and apologize for the delay. I believe the tracking should be updated on Monday."
> 
> If I recall correctly, there was a recent story in the news about lithium batteries catching fire at an airport...


That would explain my order then, I ordered a couple of extra battery packs ( 2 cell) and a Y cable.

I guess this would explain why my order isn't going anywhere.

On the the XERA - went out on the road bike this morning. This time of year with the sun low in the sky I always have front lights on the bike. Put the Xera on the bar, flashing. I could see it flashing off stop signs a few hundred feet away and people in cars were pointing at me as they went by.

Even in daylight, it gets peoples' attention. That is what I want.


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## Brooks04 (Jun 1, 2004)

icycle said:


> Looks like I'll be in business soon...ish:
> :thumbsup:


You are lucky. My order showed it was picked-up on October 31 and each day the DHL status shows "Shipment on Hold" in Shenzhen - China, People's Republic. Shipment has now been on hold for 6 days since it was picked up.

Chris' response on Nov 2nd to my email: 
"I've checked with DHL, there is a new restriction on shipping lithium ion batteries via air.
Some extra paper work had to be filled and it should be in transit tomorrow. We're sorry for the wait."

I do not understand why my order status still shows "shipment on hold" with DHL. My order was placed on Oct 18th. Chris has not responded to anymore of my emails since Nov 2nd, so I just hope my light ships soon.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

Brooks04 said:


> You are lucky. My order showed it was picked-up on October 31 and each day the DHL status shows "Shipment on Hold" in Shenzhen - China, People's Republic. Shipment has now been on hold for 6 days since it was picked up.


Oh, I won't get too excited. Looks like it looped back:


> November 06, 2011 ... Departed from DHL facility in Shenzhen - China, People's Republic
> November 07, 2011 ... Arrived at DHL facility in Shenzhen - China, People's Republic


:yawn:


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## Brooks04 (Jun 1, 2004)

icycle said:


> Oh, I won't get too excited. Looks like it looped back:
> 
> :yawn:


Got an email from Chris:
"We're very sorry. Your order is in transit now and should arrive in two days.
I will be checking your package tracking frequently to be sure."

This must be a real headache for Chris with DHL and the regulations on shipping lithium batteries internationally.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Brooks04 said:


> Got an email from Chris:
> This must be a real headache for Chris with DHL and the regulations on shipping lithium batteries internationally.


No kidding. By all measures, it looks like a great product and a good company. But if they can't deliver the actual lights, their future looks less bright...


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

TobyGadd said:


> No kidding. By all measures, it looks like a great product and a good company. But if they can't deliver the actual lights, their future looks less bright...


Yeah, they need a US distributor (see paragraph 2 in this post: http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night...agicshine-808e-helmet-746901.html#post8568511 )

My light has now left HK!


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

icycle said:


> Yeah, they need a US distributor (see paragraph 2 in this post: http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night...agicshine-808e-helmet-746901.html#post8568511 )
> 
> My light has now left HK!


Your wish may be granted and that's all I will say


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

I just received my Xera and I'm pretty stoked. It is really nice. Well worth the wait. Good quality, complete package with everything you could need and a decent user manual. Hopefully they can work out the shipping hiccups because I have several friends that are getting ready to order now.


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

wrench177 said:


> I just received my Xera and I'm pretty stoked. It is really nice. Well worth the wait. Good quality, complete package with everything you could need and a decent user manual. Hopefully they can work out the shipping hiccups because I have several friends that are getting ready to order now.


wrench, since we are in the same noob boat with our Xera lights, let me ask you, have you figured out how to turn it off? I know, hold the button one second...mine just starts blinking in strobe mode when I do that. What am I doing wrong?


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

namaSSte said:


> wrench, since we are in the same noob boat with our Xera lights, let me ask you, have you figured out how to turn it off? I know, hold the button one second...mine just starts blinking in strobe mode when I do that. What am I doing wrong?


Hmm, mine just turns off when I cycle through the modes, low, med, high, off. The manual says to press and hold the button for 1 sec to turn off. However, it also appears the manual was written for the 2nd generation light because it references the program mode, which 1st gen lights do not have. When I press and hold the button for a second (or two) it goes into the flash mode, like yours. Just cycle through the settings, it'll turn off.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Getting ready for my first post time change afterwork ride. I am so stoked with how cleanly this mounts to my
bike!!!


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Super excited, just ordered a xera & 4 cell pack....! Will be replacing my 5 year old Jet lite that just can't compete with the new LED stuff now.



Edit....had to add another light head & a 2 cell battery to my order.....now I can run bar & helmet combo....my backup light needed to be replaced anyways as it puts out about 10 lumens LOL.

Can't wait!!!!


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

Shark said:


> Super excited, just ordered a xera & 4 cell pack....! Will be replacing my 5 year old Jet lite that just can't compete with the new LED stuff now.


you won't be disappointed. I did my first real night ride of the season after getting my Xera today and it simply laughs at my old L&M halogen. I have another one coming and I'm thinking I may go reflector on that one just for the pattern. There's a very bright spot with nice even spill on the optic version so don't think you have to go one way or the other. I was amazed at how bright the Xera is even on medium (much brighter than the halogen). On medium, I get big run times from the tiny 2 cell pack so count me as one happy customer right now. The Xera definitely lives up to the hype. Congrats on your purchase.


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## adamjt (Mar 27, 2009)

Would anyone else be interested in a car charger for the batteries?

It would be nice to leave the charger and the battery plugged into the car, ready for when I need it. My truck's outlets are always on. You can always wire yours to be on if they are not...


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## MtbMacgyver (Jan 23, 2007)

adamjt said:


> Would anyone else be interested in a car charger for the batteries?
> 
> It would be nice to leave the charger and the battery plugged into the car, ready for when I need it. My truck's outlets are always on. You can always wire yours to be on if they are not...


I just wouldn't leave the battery in the car if you live somewhere warm. The life of li-ion batteries is very temperature dependent - especially when charging. They really do best at 80F and below.


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## adamjt (Mar 27, 2009)

MtbMacgyver said:


> I just wouldn't leave the battery in the car if you live somewhere warm. The life of li-ion batteries is very temperature dependent - especially when charging. They really do best at 80F and below.


I am in New England. So, when it's dark at night for riding/using the light, it is pretty much 50F or below. Not sure how the li-on's do with charging when it's below freezing outside though? I did noticed a drop in runtime when it was in the mid/low 30F's the other night, still got over 3 hrs before going orange on the 4 cell though.


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## MtbMacgyver (Jan 23, 2007)

adamjt said:


> I am in New England. So, when it's dark at night for riding/using the light, it is pretty much 50F or below. Not sure how the li-on's do with charging when it's below freezing outside though? I did noticed a drop in runtime when it was in the mid/low 30F's the other night, still got over 3 hrs before going orange on the 4 cell though.


good point about the cold, they absolutely should not be charged below 32F. Most high quality packs, such as laptop packs, have temperature sensors and will prevent charging below freezing. I haven't seem that in most bike light packs. Charging them below freezing will cause damage to the cells.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

adamjt said:


> Would anyone else be interested in a car charger for the batteries?


I'd suggest getting an inverter. That way, Gemini can focus on making new lights and you can charge in your car with the wall charger today


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## GW327 (Nov 8, 2011)

I ordered my Xera on 11-02-11 and don't have a DHL number yet how long did it take for you guys to get yours


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

I got my "shipment information received" notice from DHL on October 31st--but apparently no box to actually ship. Chris apologized and said that it would be in the mail by the 7th. Still not in the mail, and Chris hasn't responded to an e-mail that I sent yesterday. Not sure what to expect next, but this is kind of disappointing...


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

I ordered mine on 10-30-11. The website had a note (and still does) stating "ships in one week from HK".

I received e-mails Sunday evening (11-06) from Gemini and DHL saying it had shipped. Four hours later I got an e-mail from Gemini saying the status of my order had changed to "Delayed". 

They're going to have to get a warehouse in N. America to reduce their shipping costs and have reliable shipping/info if they want to get very far in the business. That's my .02.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

*Shipping Update*



Gemini Lights said:


> _*Posted 6 days ago:*_
> More batches of XERAs are being shipped out today (1st Gen).





Gemini Lights said:


> _*Posted 6 days ago:*_
> We will be shipping the 2nd Gen XERAs and reflectors by next week. Sorry for the wait.
> Cheers,
> Chris


Chris, any updates on XERA shipping times? Reason I ask is because the website has stated "ships in one week from HK" for well over a week now on the XERA light system. I've seen the discussions regarding the new battery shipping issues & the random shipping delay posts...

How about XERA light head only orders? For these the website is stating "Shipping on October 8th" Yet it's now Nov. 8th... Are these currently shipping to meet the "Express Delivery 3-4 business days" ? Placed an order over 24 hrs ago and still shows "order created"

Any news or an update to the website would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

For those interested, I'm pasting my entire tracking history, digested. Note that I shipped to a business address, not residential.


> November 05, 2011 17:11 Shipment picked up
> November 05, 2011 22:30 Processed at Shenzhen - China, People's Republic
> November 05, 2011 23:53 Processed at Shenzhen - China, People's Republic
> November 06, 2011 00:42 Departed from DHL facility in Shenzhen - China, People's Republic
> ...


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

namaSSte said:


> wrench, since we are in the same noob boat with our Xera lights, let me ask you, have you figured out how to turn it off? I know, hold the button one second...mine just starts blinking in strobe mode when I do that. What am I doing wrong?


I can confirm different gen1 switch behavior--I ordered two lights. One of them cycles low-med-high-off, and enters flash mode with a hold. The other cycles low-med-high only and also enters flash mode with a hold, but there is no way to turn it off! The only option I can see is to unplug the cord, a bit of a pain, but these lights were free so can't complain :nono:


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

As my previous posts here hinted at...I received my 2 gen1 XERA lights today--a 2 cell and a 4 cell version. Immediately charged them both to full and went on a night ride with my son. I had the 4 cell strapped to the back of my helmet and the 2 cell to the top rear of his helmet. Here is my initial feedback.

First, as others have said, the brightness and beam pattern is superb. Runtime wasn't really tested tonight, it was a short ride. But I was very happy with the helmet mount setup. The 4 cell is quite noticable on the helmet, but it was fine on the short ride and more convenient for pre-ride setup, etc to not need a Camelbak. I think the jersey pocket would have worked fine too, but very easy to not have to worry about it. Prob on longer rides I'd use the ext. cord and put the battery in the Camelbak. As for stability, once the trail got rough, then I could feel the 4 cell weight wanting to tilt my helmet a bit.

If I'm riding w/o my son, I'll put one of the XERA's or my MS 808 on the bars. Will try that next.

Some things I wasn't 100% happy about include the _straps_ for the lighthead helmet mount. They aren't elastic on my version, so it's tricky to get a nice tight fit. I did get it snug though. It's easier on some helmets than on others, depends on the vent spacing. And, there is a strap on each side of the mount, instead of one that you loop around the helmet, through a loop, and back on itself. So you end up looping two different straps around two different parts of the helmet (i.e. 4 vent holes are in use total). Finally, there isn't any rubber on the bottom of the helmet mount to help hold it in place. But, the rubber band can make contact on the helmet to add some friction, depending on the angle and helmet vent spacing. The helmet mount I have seems different from the one pictured on the Gemini website in the XERA pics. Maybe the gen1 helmet mount ships with the gen1 light head? Looking at the website, it looks like they have a brand new helmet mount in the works. All of that said, these were pre-ride worries and things seemed fine on the trail--light head was stable.

One other nit was that the silicone pads on the bottom of the lighthead mount that are supposed to be curved to conform to the mount profile come unstuck and revert back to their flat profile, while still in their "groove". Just an adhesive thing here...you can push them back on and they'll stick, and this is only an issue if you take the light off/on the mount a lot, the silicone pad may fall off eventually.

I guess that's it for now, looking forward to the gen2 but this is a great light, very happy overall.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

> One other nit was that the silicone pads on the bottom of the lighthead mount that are supposed to be curved to conform to the mount profile come unstuck and revert back to their flat profile, while still in their "groove"


Huh???


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi Everyone.

I apologize for my absence lately, we have been extremely busy with the development of the circuitry for XERA and OLYMPIA (triple XM-L) and also the production of the XERA reflectors. They look awesome.

As for the shipping delays, there was a period between the 31st of October to the 2nd of November where packages were held back because of the air restrictions on lithium ion batteries. We do apologize for those who were affected and have been in touch with them. The transit time with DHL is normally quite fast with 3 business days being the average delivery time. Residential or business addresses are the same, as long as someone is there to sign for it.

We will be taking in your feedback here and using it to improve on our products in future.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

So far so good with my light. One improvement I could suggest is on the o-ring. I find it hard to install and remove. A suggestion would to put tabs like the magicshine. After a couple of trips I swapped out the Gemini o-ring for a spare magicshine o-ring. I find it much easier to install and remove the light with the o-ring that had a tab. Since I didn't received my 2nd Xera light I ordered I been swapping back and forth from bar to helmet.

Here's a picture. Both o-ring is the exact same size but the magicshine has a tab.


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

icycle said:


> I can confirm different gen1 switch behavior--I ordered two lights. One of them cycles low-med-high-off, and* enters flash mode with a hold.* * The other cycles low-med-high only and also enters flash mode with a hold, but there is no way to turn it off! *The only option I can see is to unplug the cord, a bit of a pain, but these lights were free so can't complain :nono:


*I have a question about the "Flash" mode on the XERA*. If you set the light to "Flash" can you turn the light off and back on with the flash still engaged or do you have to cycle through modes at some point. I ask this because I would like to be able to turn "flash" on/off/on...without cycling through modes. It would be nice if the XERA memorizes the last mode used.

My MS808E has a nice "flash mode" but you have to "press and hold" to turn in on ( and to turn it off )...a bit of an annoyance I do say. I can deal with "press and hold" to turn off but for turning on I really do want single push on, "instant light/flash on demand"!


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

Cat-man-do said:


> *I have a question about the "Flash" mode on the XERA*. If you set the light to "Flash" can you turn the light off and back on with the flash still engaged or do you have to cycle through modes at some point. I ask this because I would like to be able to turn "flash" on/off/on...without cycling through modes. It would be nice if the XERA memorizes the last mode used.


For the gen1 lights I have and for gen2 (according to the manual), you must do a 2 sec hold to enter flash mode each time you want to activate it. Gen1 seems to be able to enter flash mode when the light is either on or off but the manual says gen2 should be off to enter flash mode. I suspect this is probably b/c a 3 sec hold will enter programming mode when the light is on, so it'd be tricky to have your hold fall precisely between 2 and 3 seconds.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

icycle said:


> One other nit was that the silicone pads on the bottom of the lighthead mount that are supposed to be curved to conform to the mount profile come unstuck and revert back to their flat profile, while still in their "groove"
> 
> 
> sbd said:
> ...


Sorry, that was pretty cryptic. In fact, it's such a minor issue that I'm not even going to clarify, since after taking the light head off the mount the problem is no longer apparent.:thumbsup:


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I have about 5 rides on mine now and have nothing to say but...hooray! Shorter days no longer mean being locked indoors.

A tob on the o-ring would be good though.


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

Since Chris is looking for feedback, here are a couple of my thoughts.

First, I agree a tab on the o-ring would a nice touch. Mounting would be faster and easier.

Second, the velcro on the helmet mount. Not a big fan of it. I have the style with double sided Velcro on both sides. I had to remove the padding inside my helmet to install the mount. With the pads in, the Velcro grabbed and pulled my pads making installation difficult. IMHO, a better solution would be a strap like the one used for the battery that doubles back on itself. This would allow you to secure the mount much easier and more securely. The pictures on the website show this style and I would prefer it much more.

That's it for my quibbles (if you want to call them that). Both are fairly minor in the grand scheme of things.

Now the good:

Fantastic beam of light from this unit. Smooth, even light with just the right spread and throw. Amazing it comes from such a small head unit.

The headband. I wanted to use this light for BC XC skiing at night in addition to biking. The headband works well, includes tabs to hold the wire in place and keeps the unit securely on my noggin. Nice that it was included.

Overall quality looks great. Fit and finish are nice and better than expected. I'm excited that we will have the option to change between the optics and a reflector. I'm thinking reflector on the bars and optics for the helmet. That will be a sweet, small setup with plenty of quality light. Time will tell, but so far, I'm very happy with my XERA.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Everyone.
> 
> I apologize for my absence lately, we have been extremely busy with the development of the circuitry for XERA and OLYMPIA (triple XM-L) and also the production of the XERA reflectors. They look awesome.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the update, Chris. I just got a message from DHL, and it looks like the package is now on its way. Yeah!


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Lets see some close up pics of these units, for those that already have them. 
I need something to tide me over until mine show up....


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

Shark said:


> Lets see some close up pics of these units, for those that already have them.
> I need something to tide me over until mine show up....


Here's one for ya:








Headband mounted:


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## Darkryder (Oct 4, 2011)

*Xera in the US?*

QUOTE:"Yeah, they need a US distributor "

There is a US seller. action-led-lights


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

sweet!


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Darkryder said:


> QUOTE:"Yeah, they need a US distributor "
> 
> There is a US seller. action-led-lights


I just find the older Gemini Titan P7 from that seller. Not the full Gemini line at all.

EDIT...I was looking at their Ebay store. The http://www.action-led-lights.com site lists the Xera as shipping Nov. 20th. It seems I've been wrong a lot lately.


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## Darkryder (Oct 4, 2011)

I was going to put dot com after that name but I guess I don't have the status yet. I'll contact the seller and try and suggest they join the forum.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I don't think you will find the Xera from any distributor as its still being finalized. Everything is being shipped fresh from the manufacturer in china. Once the production line starts churning I'm pretty sure it will go out to distributors. Since Geoman is doing some testing it make look like we have a reputable distributor. Gemini may be a new company but with their impressive products and customer service they can set new standards.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

anekin007 said:


> Gemini may be a new company but with their impressive products and customer service they can set new standards.


True enough!


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Everyone.
> As for the shipping delays, there was a period between the 31st of October to the 2nd of November where packages were held back because of the air restrictions on lithium ion batteries. We do apologize for those who were affected and have been in touch with them. The transit time with DHL is normally quite fast with 3 business days being the average delivery time. Residential or business addresses are the same, as long as someone is there to sign for it.
> 
> We will be taking in your feedback here and using it to improve on our products in future.


Thanks for the update. 
Yet, my light head only order from 11/7 still has yet to show any order status as of the end of today. So much for the 3-4 day express delivery... What is going on with these? 
I've got a few friends interested in these lights yet deliveries are hampering purchases.


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## mtbfyrefyter (Oct 11, 2011)

^^ Good Question. I wonder if this the deal with all of their products! 

Hey Chris: Is the shipping delay also applicable to the Titan? Just wondering....


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## magic lobster (Dec 5, 2006)

Got my Xera lights very quickly and Chris was super helpful. They're not for me but I couldn't resist doing a test run through the neighborhood with my Baja Designs Strykr on the bars and a Xera on the helmet... it was pretty intense. Almost blinded by the reflection from some street signs. Fantastic stuff.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

mtbfyrefyter said:


> ^^ Good Question. I wonder if this the deal with all of their products!
> 
> Hey Chris: Is the shipping delay also applicable to the Titan? Just wondering....


The delay on the Xera is because its being finalized. Everyone that received them so far are the gen1. As Chris has mention they are working hard to get the final product out and it should be done shortly. You can pick up the titan from their US distributor that someone mention action-led-lights.com. It is actually couple bucks cheaper and shipping is about $10.


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## blackDoggy (Sep 17, 2004)

I am currently considering if I should order XERA. One question which has not been answered yet is about the charger. I am from Europe, so I am using 220V input and round plugs instead of square plugs used in the USA. Is the charger compatible with 220V input? Can I specify the type of plugs needed?


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

blackDoggy said:


> I am currently considering if should order XERA. One question which has not been answered yet is about the charger. I am from Europe, so I am using 220V input and round plugs instead of square plugs used in the USA. Is the charger compatible with 220V input? Can I specify the type of plugs needed?


Lithium-Ion Smart Charger | Gemini Lights

Product Specs..."Input: 110V-240VAC 50/60Hz"

I believe you will need to use a travel adapter for the plug type.


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## blackDoggy (Sep 17, 2004)

gmcttr, thanks for the link regarding the charger. One more question - does anyone know if 2nd XERA is going to come with reflector or optics it its stock configuration? I see that it is possible to order a standalone reflector from their webpage, but this is obviously not needed if the 2nd generation light will come with a reflector anyway.


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

Aspec said:


> Thanks for the update.
> Yet, my light head only order from 11/7 still has yet to show any order status as of the end of today. So much for the 3-4 day express delivery... What is going on with these?
> I've got a few friends interested in these lights yet deliveries are hampering purchases.


I put my order in on 10/13 and just got them on Monday. Chris was hoping the 2nd gen would be finalized and shipping, but, it didn't happen. He gave me a choice and I took the 1st gen kit.

Sounds like he has a full plate trying to find a US distributor, getting the 2nd gen Xera finished and the new triple XM-L produced....among other things. Just be patient, you'll be happy with your purchase.

I have several friends waiting to pull the trigger as well. I told them to hold tight until the dust settles. Again, you won't be disappointed.



blackDoggy said:


> gmcttr, thanks for the link regarding the charger. One more question - does anyone know if 2nd XERA is going to come with reflector or optics it its stock configuration?.


I bet it'll be an option, like the 2 or 4 cell battery. Pick your battery & pick your optics. That would be sweet. Nice way to get exactly what you want.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

anekin007 said:


> I don't think you will find the Xera from any distributor as its still being finalized. Everything is being shipped fresh from the manufacturer in china. Once the production line starts churning I'm pretty sure it will go out to distributors. *Since Geoman is doing some testing it make look like we have a reputable distributor. Gemini may be a new company but with their impressive products and customer service they can set new standards.*




*If that happened I would be all over this light:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:*


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Rakuman said:


> [/COLOR][/COLOR][/B]
> 
> *If that happened I would be all over this light:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:*


Pretty sure that's in the works Would be nice if Chris or GeoMan would confirm:thumbsup:


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## gghlyon (Jan 13, 2010)

*Review / Feedback*

Here we go!
Placed order 28th October. Received light 8th November. A little longer than I would have liked as seems to be the trend on this thread, but free extra light mk.2 negates and then some.

Intended usage, 10 mile commute on road, and mtb night trail riding. Helmet mounted.

Competition, was looking at the Exposure Diablo as the ultimate headlight and all in one package. Gemini won on basis of being half price, lower profile, longer battery life, not much more weight.

I've never had a decent light before, so not much to compare it against in experience. Total package seems tidy, well built, and first ride last night certainly bright! Car drivers were scared.

Gemini, you can destroy this market. Get distributed by competitive cyclist, the websites and jenson usa, there's no contest. I was about to purchase another light, it was only through a thread like this which mentioned your product and the fact I found a couple reviews / test shots which backed it up.

Improvement - I don't know much about the spot vs flood optics beams, plenty of feedback on all that here already. The one thing I would like to see and buy instantly is a different helmet mount. The vents in my helment are diagonal, so the strap doesn't go through neatly, plus the wrapping round the inside affects fit of helmet.

*Please make a 'stick on' helment mount*, it would need a tiny footprint as the light is so... light, it could be super low profile so wouldn't look out of place when light isn't mounted and the whole system would look even cooler.

Pay you $10 for it right now.


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## GW327 (Nov 8, 2011)

stick on mount would be great, could also be used on full face helmet


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

gghlyon said:


> *Please make a 'stick on' helment mount*, it would need a tiny footprint as the light is so... light, it could be super low profile so wouldn't look out of place when light isn't mounted and the whole system would look even cooler.
> 
> Pay you $10 for it right now.


How about $3.75 for this: http://amzn.com/B002DZJQ0A
I use these for my car toll electronic transponder, work great.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

*followup review*

Had my second consecutive night ride last night, this time with a 2 cell XERA on helmet and the 4 cell on the bars. The 4 cell mounted nicely under the stem, cables perfect length. The 2 cell was great on the helmet (nice break from the 4 cell I put up there on my first ride  ).

Once again very happy with my purchase. All things considered, why would you not opt for a light of this quality and brightness from a company who obviously did their homework, includes more accessories than most, interacts with their customers regularly, and makes up for product delays with incentives...all at a super price point?

Thanks Chris/Gemini for a great product. Looking forward to receiving the gen2 lights.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

icycle said:


> Had my second consecutive night ride last night, this time with a 2 cell XERA on helmet and the 4 cell on the bars. The 4 cell mounted nicely under the stem, cables perfect length. The 2 cell was great on the helmet (nice break from the 4 cell I put up there on my first ride  ).
> 
> Once again very happy with my purchase. All things considered, why would you not opt for a light of this quality and brightness from a company who obviously did their homework, includes more accessories than most, interacts with their customers regularly, and makes up for product delays with incentives...all at a super price point?
> 
> Thanks Chris/Gemini for a great product. Looking forward to receiving the gen2 lights.


Totally agree with everything you've mentioned. All you guys still waiting for your lights it's gonna be worth it don't worry. Exotic maybe it's not (like a Piko), but it out performs lights costing hundreds more and it's so small. Win win!! I still chuckle every time I pick up my helmet to look at it. Can't wait to try out the new reflector I have coming with the Gen. 2 head and extra battery pack.

It's kind of driving me nuts waiting day after day hoping to finally see Francois review of the Xera. Saving the best for last perhaps? light of the year? or maybe just waiting for Gemini to get the 2nd gen. Xera light to him?

Now Gemini...how about that XML triple to make us all salivate a little more :smilewinkgrin:


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## ridin_dirty (Apr 21, 2007)

*build it and they will come*



randyharris said:


> The low profile and super low mounting of the Piko is one of the things I love about it.


I agree; it would be awesome to see a mounting system similar to the Piko which brings the light head as close to the helmet as possible. Pikos can be mounted to the bar also, so I don't agree that you lose that flexibility (however it may increase the cost marginally). Personally, I'm not a fan of the 0-ring style mounts for helmets.... just not nearly as sleek or professional looking as having the light right in close to the helmet. Not to mention, the further from the helmet the light is positioned, the greater the leverage it exerts (and therefore increased neck strain) every time you go over a drop or jump. I know the Xera already doesn't weigh very much, but every bit makes a difference.


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## Darkryder (Oct 4, 2011)

There's not much torque over bumps if the light is balanced by the 2 cell battery towards the back. The O-ring mount has an advantage if you snag the light on a limb. The O-ring will probably give before the mount, light, or your neck.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

ridin_dirty said:


> Not to mention, the further from the helmet the light is positioned, the greater the leverage it exerts (and therefore increased neck strain) every time you go over a drop or jump. I know the Xera already doesn't weigh very much, but every bit makes a difference.


I think these new lights are so small, it would really make zero difference if it sits 1/2" higher than a different style mount. We aren't talking about a 1/2 pound light head after all....

While I agree with some of the comments regarding the type of mounts etc, we have to remember the price point this setup is.

If you start adding all these "it would be nice to have...." pieces, all of a sudden it is not a $150 light anymore, right? 

I can't wait to get mine though, really curious to put it through the paces :thumbsup:


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Shark said:


> If you start adding all these "it would be nice to have...." pieces, all of a sudden it is not a $150 light anymore, right?


Very good point! For the price, I think Gemini has put together an excellent package. 
I'm super happy with mine at least.


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## ridin_dirty (Apr 21, 2007)

Shark said:


> While I agree with some of the comments regarding the type of mounts etc, we have to remember the price point this setup is.
> 
> If you start adding all these "it would be nice to have...." pieces, all of a sudden it is not a $150 light anymore, right?
> 
> :


I'm not in any way criticizing Gemini; they have clearly created an awesome product. I am amazed however, how competitive the light industry has become. That means that if companies aren't constantly innovating and improving, they will be left behind. I am a huge fan of Jetlites, but have to say that I'm concerned that their A-51 doesn't get the job done. 
Gemini states on their website that they can make a premium high end light at a low price. They also introduced the Xera as a value alternative to the Piko 3, and have a number of times asked for feedback on this forum.

At the end of the day, does it make any difference if your light is a 1/2 inch higher off your helmet? Probably none in reality, but consumers make choices on perceived advantages all the time. Again, the Xera is an awesome light the way it is, but it would be even better with a lower profile helmet mount.


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

ridin_dirty said:


> I...*At the end of the day, does it make any difference if your light is a 1/2 inch higher off your helmet?* Probably none in reality, but consumers make choices on perceived advantages all the time. Again, the Xera is an awesome light the way it is, but it would be even better with a lower profile helmet mount.


I agree but a lower profile is more aesthetically appealing. People who want a different ( lower profile ) helmet mount might check into the helmet mount sold by DiNotte that was originally designed for the old 200L's. ( DiNotte was the first to offer a lamp that mounted using an O-ring ) I do believe they still sell these mounts. I use mine to mount my MS808E. I did have to use a couple longer/thinner O-rings to make it work but once dialed in it works fine. Not to mention the DiNotte mount uses straps that aren't Velcro ( both sides loop and lock using a clamp ) A very good design. The only negative aspect is that it is hard to adjust on-the-fly. Not a big issue with me as I usually keep it where it is.

I'll try to get some photos of the set-up by tomorrow. No time right now, off to work. Just keep in mind that all the "lower profile stuff is relative to what helmet you are using and how the air vents line up. The guys using helmets with exotic vent configurations need to go buy a new helmet with better vent alignment. Unfortunately finding a good "Night ride helmet" is not easy. The helmet I have I've had for over ten years. It is about done but I still can't find a good replacement. The vents on my old helmet are about perfect but Bell doesn't make that model anymore. Heaven help me if some major part on the helmet breaks. If it does I will be totally screwed.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

I just received my Xera.

In one word: WOW!

This light is absolutely amazing--it is bright and the pattern is perfect. Even at a much higher price, it would be a great deal. Everything, from the packaging (little magnets to hold the flap closed) to the supplied accessories is very high quality.

I'm really looking forward to taking it on long rides, like the Kokopelli Trail. Riding through the night can be tough--but this bright little light will make it seem like daylight never ended.

The Xera is one of the best biking gizmos that I've purchased in a very long time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


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## krd123 (Jul 21, 2004)

*Very impressed with the Cree Titan*

I bought one of these because I thought I had lost my bar mount Magicshine light head. The reduced price and reduced shipping price sealed the deal. Very fast delivery. I really like this light. I have been using it on my commute. Low power setting is fine for most of the trip. High setting is really something. The generous spill makes this an excellent choice for the bar. With the helmet and headlamp mounts included it is an excellent deal. I am looking forward to using it off road. I like that you don't have to cycle through the flash setting. My only criticism is that you do have to cycle through the off setting when going through the settings. Just an excellent light and a really good value.


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## rides2slow (Jun 18, 2007)

*Turning off XERA*

Got my XERA. 
How do you turn it off? It cycles through off/A/B/C. In the "off" mode the battery indicator light remains on. Holding the switch down puts the light in flash mode. I can't figure out how to turn off the battery indicator.

thanks


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## bledsoe32 (Dec 30, 2010)

rides2slow said:


> Got my XERA.
> How do you turn it off? It cycles through off/A/B/C. In the "off" mode the battery indicator light remains on. Holding the switch down puts the light in flash mode. I can't figure out how to turn off the battery indicator.
> 
> thanks


I believe you'll need to unplug the light from the battery to get the indicator light to go off. I have the XERA but I have found this to be the case with the other lights I have.


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## PureMX (May 5, 2009)

The Bad side: This darn light has caused me to purchase another Fox Flux (thanks Chainlove), just for night riding so I don't need to remove light for day rides. Will also need another light for the bars.

I've found the medium setting seems to work best. The bightest setting is so bright that it is hard to make out features on the trail particularly when going downhill.

Great light.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Yep. 

I have ridden with mine about a dozen times and I continue to love it...awesome little light!


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## rides2slow (Jun 18, 2007)

*thanks*



bledsoe32 said:


> I believe you'll need to unplug the light from the battery to get the indicator light to go off. I have the XERA but I have found this to be the case with the other lights I have.


Thanks for the help. I'm surprised it has to be unplugged, but that'll work.


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

Been on a couple night rides so far and this light has been great. Ran on low for the uphill stuff then medium for the moderate stuff then high for the faster down runs. 

Been running it with a DesignShine on the bar and the Xera has a great throw to add to the wide pattern on the other.

Ed


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## ScottR1 (May 12, 2006)

I just got an upgraded Titan. Note that this is a Chinese light, not a Canadian light, and ships from China, but shipping from Shenzhen was frighteningly fast. Unfortunately they used DHL, and my box arrived crushed at both ends. I charged the light for five hours the first time, and the red light on the wall plug never turned green. I don't know if it's a design flaw or shipping damage. The light is a somewhat narrow beam, great for a road bike but not suitable for a bar-mounted mountain bike light, which is what I intended to use it for. The lighthead can be turned right or left if you peel back the foam on the underside of the mount and unscrew the mount-to-lighthead screw, but the lighthead cooling fins need to be filed down first because they prevent you from turning the lighthead. If I didn't file down the fins and rotate the lighthead I wouldn't be able to use the light on my full-suspension bike (riser bars) or hardtail (swept bars) because the light would point off into the woods somewhere. The light comes with a helmet mount and a headlight mount. The velcro-attached helmet mount is kinda flimsy, but the lighthead is light and doesn't wobble around much. The headlight webbing is hand-stitched, I kid you not, with all of 12 stitches securing the webbing ends - my stitching lasted about 40 minutes into the light's first trail run, and started unravelling (it hung down in front of my eyes) so quickly I had to tape it up for the rest of my run. When pounding down rocky trails the lighthead swivels down on the headlight mount, and blindingly illuminates your nose and your feet, but not the trail you're trying to run along. The "1m long" extension cord is not, in fact, one meter long, and cannot reach from the headlight or the helmet mount to your fanny pack unless you're a midget, and only reaches to the top of a hydration pack. The battery pack is supposed to strap around the handlebar next to the lighthead, but it's only held on by velcro and my battery pack popped off the bars twice on the first ride. The light didn't turn off, so I suppose the strain reliefs on the battery pack and lighthead are pretty good. After one trail run (1:20) and one mountain bike ride (1:40) I charged the light for another five hours, and the red light on the wall plug never turned green. It's supposed to fully charge in four hours, and you are supposed to unplug it to avoid damaging the battery when the light turns green, but it never did turn green. Finally, the value of the light, as declared at customs, is $21, but they charge $99 on sale - sounds like someone found a way to cut 80% off their excise taxes. I'm pretty disappointed with this light, and with the poor design and quality control by the company that sold it. My next light will be a Serfas 1500, a REAL light. I don't know whether to return this light or give it to my niece, who wants a headlight for her birthday so she can feed her rabbits in the evening.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

*Xera US webshop*



Rakuman said:


> [/COLOR][/COLOR][/B]
> 
> *If that happened I would be all over this light:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:*


Dunno if it's been posted or not. Anyway - a US webshop carrying Gemini lights:

Action-LED-Lights - Gemini XERA


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

langen said:


> Dunno if it's been posted or not. Anyway - a US webshop carrying Gemini lights:
> 
> Action-LED-Lights - Gemini XERA


*Thanks but I was referring to if Geoman started carrying these lights, I have bought all my other lights except 1 from him in the past few years and his reputation and customer service is bar none.:thumbsup:*


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## Newman_diver (Sep 21, 2009)

Just ordered a Xera. Wondering if you only had one, would you mount it on the bars or helmet for trail riding?


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

Newman_diver said:


> Just ordered a Xera. Wondering if you only had one, would you mount it on the bars or helmet for trail riding?


Helmet definitely. It always points where you're looking. A bar light points where the bike is going which is great until you come up to a turn.


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## blackDoggy (Sep 17, 2004)

I am a little concerned regarding the reports on the light not turning off and charger not stopping on full batteries. If I recall correctly the problem with indicator led not turning off was widespread with the cheap DealExtreme lights. Of course, the fact that your battery is drained quicker than necessarry is not relevant if your house burns down due to a faulty charger.

Just my thoughts regarding Xera. I am still considering if I should buy one.


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## Two Jack (Sep 26, 2011)

blackDoggy said:


> I am a little concerned regarding the reports on the light not turning off and charger not stopping on full batteries. If I recall correctly the problem with indicator led not turning off was widespread with the cheap DealExtreme lights. Of course, the fact that your battery is drained quicker than necessarry is not relevant if your house burns down due to a faulty charger.
> 
> Just my thoughts regarding Xera. I am still considering if I should buy one.


I have both the Xera and the Titan, I have had no problem with them turning off. But I don't understand why people leave them plugged in to the battery if not using them, the battery will continue to drain.

When I park the bike I unplug the light head from the battery in any event.

I have also had no problems with the chargers. Mine hit green about as I would expect.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

Mine have turned green and no problems here. I have 2 Xeras and 2 chargers.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

blackDoggy said:


> I am a little concerned regarding the reports on the light not turning off and charger not stopping on full batteries. If I recall correctly the problem with indicator led not turning off was widespread with the cheap DealExtreme lights. Of course, the fact that your battery is drained quicker than necessarry is not relevant if your house burns down due to a faulty charger.
> 
> Just my thoughts regarding Xera. I am still considering if I should buy one.


I wouldnt worry too much about the battery indicator light as its low power consumption. I have keep my healight connected with the battery and never had battery life issue. Longest I left it plugged in is almost 2 weeks and the light was still green. Its been raining and been doing a couple day rides so I havent been using my light. If I plan on not using my light for a long period of time I rather disconnect everything and store it in its original box. Dont confuse Gemini lights with no name dealextreme bike lights. The quality of Xera is top notch for the price you are paying. The xera head light is nearly half the size and half the weight of the dealextreme bike lights. The lumen of 800 is pretty accurate as tested in the 2012 light shootout. As for the charger there hasnt been any claim or information about faulty chargers from gemini. There may be other companies with faulty chargers or batteries but you cant put gemini in the same category as they dont use the same items.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

blackDoggy said:


> I am a little concerned regarding the reports on the light not turning off and charger not stopping on full batteries.


Important to note here that any reports on XERA are on the gen1 lights which are known to be not the official release of the light and that's why they were free. The official light will have low-med-hi cycling with each button press and hold for 1s to turn off, if I recall correctly.

The charger not stopping was an issue reported on the Titan light by one user so far that I know of. I have two XERA batteries/chargers and no problems there.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

*XERA switch inconsistencies?*

Do any other gen1 Xera users have intermittent switch behavior where pressing the button enough to "click" it doesn't change the light mode, and you have to actually press the button deep (i.e. all the way in firmly) to get it to switch?


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

icycle said:


> Do any other gen1 Xera users have intermittent switch behavior where pressing the button enough to "click" it doesn't change the light mode, and you have to actually press the button deep (i.e. all the way in firmly) to get it to switch?


I haven't had that issue at all. So far, everything is perfect and I am thrilled. Heck, I get enough light out of it that I often don't run it on high (on the road, its not needed and off road, I combine it with another light). Sorry, getting off topic, no click problems here, hope its not causing you issues.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

No charging issues with my Xera.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Ditto!!! no problems here so far.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Chris,

Have _any_ Gen. 2 Xera lights shipped yet? If not, when will that start happening so everyone will know.

Also, any more info you can give us on the XML triple? Pics, specs, pre-order date, shipping eta etc...


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## luvdabeach2001 (Nov 11, 2011)

I have read the last couple of pages and everyone is talking about the Xera, well except one post. Does anyone else have experience with the Titan? Which has better flood for a bar mount? Actual run time on both? etc...


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## mtbfyrefyter (Oct 11, 2011)

luvdabeach2001 said:


> I have read the last couple of pages and everyone is talking about the Xera, well except one post. Does anyone else have experience with the Titan? Which has better flood for a bar mount? Actual run time on both? etc...


I have the Titan and thus far it seems solid. I have it mounted to the helmet and am using a Lights and Motion on the handle bars. All is good, although I did not get my travel kit as advertised on the Web site, and I am uncertain if what I got has the 'CREE XM-L' upgraded light as that is what I ordered (I had the option). The box I got states that the light is 'SSC P7'. It is interesting though that now the Web site seems to not include the travel kit as 'whats in the box' but the box states it! TBH, that was one of my major selling points....as I wanted the storage for when I was riding day time and didnt want the extra weight on my head.

I will post a pic of it mounted to my helmet later. Also I will do a full review of the Titan on most major MTB Web sites across the US. I am reviewing the new CREE XM-L upgrade from a consumers stand point.

Hey Mr. Chris Lai, can you please comment on some of my concerns. Thanks!


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## mtbfyrefyter (Oct 11, 2011)

anekin007 said:


> The delay on the Xera is because its being finalized. Everyone that received them so far are the gen1. As Chris has mention they are working hard to get the final product out and it should be done shortly. You can pick up the titan from their US distributor that someone mention action-led-lights.com. It is actually couple bucks cheaper and shipping is about $10.


Why when I can get it straight from the source?


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## mtbfyrefyter (Oct 11, 2011)

ScottR1 said:


> . Finally, the value of the light, as declared at customs, is $21, but they charge $99 on sale - sounds like someone found a way to cut 80% off their excise taxes. I don't know whether to return this light or give it to my niece, who wants a headlight for her birthday so she can feed her rabbits in the evening.


Yeah I found that pretty interesting myself. I wonder which government is being fooled on the 'value' of the item? I hope this is not some fly-by-night company. I like the product I have thus far, however, am concerned about a few items that you mentioned. Like the hand stitched head bands....you are correct and on my own, the stitching was not even and done with haste.

I will do a review with lots of photos on what I got today.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

I think it depends on how you look at it. Right now there is an inconsistency within government duty fee's. I live in Canada and my Xera had to come through the US/Canada boarder.This time the duty fee's were great at $8:95 Canada post fee's, and no deception on product value. Another time, an honest discloser of battery covers of $60 cost me $41 in duty fee's, as i had mentioned in another thread, and that is pure robbery. So i wouldn't feel as bad as some if the next time the cost of a product decloration was reduced resulting in less duty fee's. That's just my 2cents.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

I received my Xera today and the rain started promptly at 10 minutes before full darkness.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

gmcttr said:


> I received my Xera today and the rain started promptly at 10 minutes before full darkness.


So, it took two weeks for you to get the product?


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

gmcttr said:


> I received my Xera today and the rain started promptly at 10 minutes before full darkness.


Hey, you can test to make sure it holds up in the rain now! :thumbsup: Thanks


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Aspec said:


> So, it took two weeks for you to get the product?


I ordered a gen2 Xera on 10/30 and the product page had a red note stating they would ship in one week. Later, I was notified that due to delays with the gen2 pc board, they would go ahead and send a gen1 light while I waited. I'm expecting the Gen 2 lights to start shipping in a week or so.



Shark said:


> Hey, you can test to make sure it holds up in the rain now! :thumbsup: Thanks


Well...I couldn't resist, so I did ride for about 15 minutes before coming in to dry off.:thumbsup:


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

*CREE or P7*



mtbfyrefyter said:


> I am uncertain if what I got has the 'CREE XM-L' upgraded light as that is what I ordered (I had the option). The box I got states that the light is 'SSC P7'.


mtbfyrefyter, You can tell if you have a CREE or SSC-P7 by looking at the LED itself (with it turned off) With the P7 you will see 4 small squares in the center of the clear domewhich is about 1/4" in diameter. With the CREE you see one small square and the dome in only about 1/8" in diameter.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

anekin007 said:


> I wouldnt worry too much about the battery indicator light as its low power consumption. I have keep my healight connected with the battery and never had battery life issue. Longest I left it plugged in is almost 2 weeks and the light was still green.


To answer the question about the battery indicator light, For the Titan, with the light plugged in but off, the current draw is 5 mA. With a 5400mAh battery it would take about 1080 hours to drain the battery or 45 days. Leaving it plugged in for the weekend or week is not to big a deal.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

*Hello MTBR*

I'll take a moment to introduce myself. I am Jim Harger, the owner of Action LED Lights. I am a design engineer by trade and one of my last projects in that capacity was designing LED flashlights. That's what lead me in 2009 to Magicshine lights. I was in China on other business and stopped in to see their operation. I was sufficiently impressed that I decided pick some for myself and friends who meet every morning at 5:30 for a 25 mile ride. One thing lead to another and I set up shop on E-bay selling Magicshines. I, along with Jay at Geomangear, were the first 2 MS sellers in the US. A year later I set up an Amazon store and then added Gemini lights in early 2011 as the Titan first came out. (Chris could say for sure but I think I was the first US reseller). Now I have moved into an independent website. (URL withheld do to the newby rule) With my technical background I will try and answer what ever questions I can. I admit I do mostly road riding but do get on the trails occasionally at Rock Cut Park here in Rockford, IL Some great riding if your ever out this way.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Action LED Lights said:


> I'll take a moment to introduce myself. I am Jim Harger...


Welcome to the forums. I was wondering how long it would take.:thumbsup:

Here ya' go...Action LED Lights - Brilliant lighting for all your biking & outdoor sporting activities.


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## Panda88 (Nov 11, 2011)

Jim
for road bike (bar mount) - would you recommend Titan or Xera?
Christian



Action LED Lights said:


> I'll take a moment to introduce myself. I am Jim Harger, the owner of Action LED Lights....... I admit I do mostly road riding but do get on the trails occasionally at Rock Cut Park here in Rockford, IL Some great riding if your ever out this way.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Either one would certainly do an excellent job. The amount of light for each is similar. However for the road I like the sharper focus of the Titan to reach farther out for faster speeds. I haven't used a Xera with the reflector but I assume that would give it the same or similar beam.


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

Action LED Lights said:


> *I'll take a moment to introduce myself. I am Jim Harger, the owner of Action LED Lights. I am a design engineer by trade and one of my last projects in that capacity was designing LED flashlights.* That's what lead me in 2009 to Magicshine lights. I was in China on other business and stopped in to see their operation. I was sufficiently impressed that I decided pick some for myself and friends who meet every morning at 5:30 for a 25 mile ride. One thing lead to another and I set up shop on E-bay selling Magicshines. I, along with Jay at Geomangear, were the first 2 MS sellers in the US. A year later I set up an Amazon store and then added Gemini lights in early 2011 as the Titan first came out. (Chris could say for sure but I think I was the first US reseller). Now I have moved into an independent website. (URL withheld do to the newby rule) With my technical background I will try and answer what ever questions I can. I admit I do mostly road riding but do get on the trails occasionally at Rock Cut Park here in Rockford, IL Some great riding if your ever out this way.


Welcome to the MTBReview lights forum Jim. Your website has already caught the attention of a few people. What part of the U.S. do you ship from? Rockford, IL. ??
I've noticed you sell a lot of the MagicShine products. Do you sell ( or planning to sell ) alternative mounts for the MS's? Since your new to this forum you probably don't know that a lot of people into the MS and Bikeray products have sought out more stable mounting. I've noticed that you sell the MJ818 (which I have considered buying ). An MJ818 with an adjustable/ tilting mount would be even better.

About the MJ838....Why is the MJ838E $25 more than the MJ838? Looks to be the same light, same emitter ( or is it? ), same battery..._.but different driver.?_..:ihih: Why would the light sell for $25 more just for a slightly higher output driver? I also just noticed that the ad on the 838E list the emitter as an XP-E and then says it's XP-G a little further down in the product description :???:. Oh, and while I'm asking...do you know what emitter is used as the center LED on the MJ818? I figure it's always best to start out with the easy questions.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Cat-man-do, 
Yes, I ship from Rockford, IL
If you check the Accessories page you'll find I am stocking the Magiclight clamp-on mount that will fit Magicshine or Gemini lights.
I agree that a swivel mount for the MJ-818 would be great. A solution I have found is to strap a helmet mount on the back of my frame and then mount the tail light to the helmet mount so that I can pivot it up and down. Though I find that if I have it pointed straight back no one can ride behind me because they get blinded by it (a good excuse to just suck wheel the whole ride) So on the seat post works better than you might expect. It still is very visible to cars.
The MJ-838 is rated at 200 MS-lumens (XP-E) and the MJ-838B is 400 lumens (XP-G). I've suggested to MS that they drop the 838 as there is so little difference and if you want less light you can always put the 838B in low. The reason for the lower price on the 838 is because I have it on sale. Neither has been very popular I think because they have a very tight beam. Good for a low cost commuter light but with a wider beam they would be great for running or as a general purpose headlamp. I'm looking for a easy way to adapt the wide angle lens to fit them.
Not sure about the LED for the 818. I think it's just a generic Chinese LED as 85 lumens out of 3 watts is not that good. CREE's can do that with 1 watt.


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## rides2slow (Jun 18, 2007)

*please make it turn off*



Action LED Lights said:


> To answer the question about the battery indicator light, For the Titan, with the light plugged in but off, the current draw is 5 mA. With a 5400mAh battery it would take about 1080 hours to drain the battery or 45 days. Leaving it plugged in for the weekend or week is not to big a deal.


I'm hoping version II of XERA can be turned off. It doesn't seem to be a plus to me that you can't turn off the battery indicator light. I bought the light because of the versatility of the head strap and hoped to use it off the grid in certain situations.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

I just noticed on the Gemini Xera listing, they are now informing buyers of the "get the gen1 light now and we will also send a gen2 lighthead when available" deal. Oder now and get 2 for 1.

It would appear that the gen2 pcb is still delayed for an unknown amount of time.


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## luvdabeach2001 (Nov 11, 2011)

Will Action-Led-Lights be doing the same?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk


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## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

So it seems that my ARC Lithium ion has died (possibly a burned bulb), and as such, getting a new light has been bumped to the top of my priorities list. I'm inclined to get the Xera, mostly because of its size to light output ratio, but am curious about the Olympia that is coming out in the near future. I understand it's a triple XML, and I'm new to these LED terms, but does this mean that it will likely be less compact than the Xera? 
Also, is there a different light that I should be looking at? I will likely be using one headlight as my only light (unless I decide to fix my ARC) for night riding on the local trails.


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

The_Boy said:


> So it seems that my ARC Lithium ion has died (possibly a burned bulb), and as such, getting a new light has been bumped to the top of my priorities list. I'm inclined to get the Xera, mostly because of its size to light output ratio, but am curious about the Olympia that is coming out in the near future. I understand it's a triple XML, and I'm new to these LED terms, but does this mean that it will likely be less compact than the Xera?
> Also, is there a different light that I should be looking at? I will likely be using one headlight as my only light (unless I decide to fix my ARC) for night riding on the local trails.


It's my understanding the triple XM-L Olympia will be a little larger than the Xera, but, smaller than the Titan. It should put out about twice the light of the Xera and have more spill. So, it'll make a great bar light. Since it'll have more power consumption, you'll need to run the 4 cell battery pack to have a decent runtime, around 2+ hours on high. So, you'd probably want to carry the battery in your hydration pack or jersey. It would be too heavy to run the entire setup on the helmet, like the Xera.

The Olympia sounds like it'll be a great light, but, how long are you willing to wait? The 2nd gen Xera has been delayed and there is no real date as to when it'll be available. Gemini is shipping 1st gen Xera's with the promise to send out the 2nd gen lighthead for free when available. Again, no date has been given for this release. The Olympia will probably be delayed as well.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

The_Boy said:


> So it seems that my ARC Lithium ion has died (possibly a burned bulb), and as such, getting a new light has been bumped to the top of my priorities list. I'm inclined to get the Xera, mostly because of its size to light output ratio, but am curious about the Olympia that is coming out in the near future. I understand it's a triple XML, and I'm new to these LED terms, but does this mean that it will likely be less compact than the Xera?
> Also, is there a different light that I should be looking at? I will likely be using one headlight as my only light (unless I decide to fix my ARC) for night riding on the local trails.


Gemini Lights stated in a previous post the new XML triple will be smaller than their current Titan light so check that one out. That tells me for a triple it will be pretty small. Not Xera size but for sure mountable on either bars or helmet. Bummer, no pics yet from Gemini.


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## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

wrench177 said:


> It's my understanding the triple XM-L Olympia will be a little larger than the Xera, but, smaller than the Titan. It should put out about twice the light of the Xera and have more spill. So, it'll make a great bar light. Since it'll have more power consumption, you'll need to run the 4 cell battery pack to have a decent runtime, around 2+ hours on high. So, you'd probably want to carry the battery in your hydration pack or jersey. It would be too heavy to run the entire setup on the helmet, like the Xera.
> 
> The Olympia sounds like it'll be a great light, but, how long are you willing to wait? The 2nd gen Xera has been delayed and there is no real date as to when it'll be available. Gemini is shipping 1st gen Xera's with the promise to send out the 2nd gen lighthead for free when available. Again, no date has been given for this release. The Olympia will probably be delayed as well.


Thanks Todd, this is Nick Pendleton from the MoCo Epic by the way, I think I'll get the 2 cell Xera for now and maybe the Olympia down the road. 
Hopefully Action LED will answer the previously mentioned question about replacing the first version with the second version when they are available. I'll order mine today if they are going to replace them.


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

The_Boy said:


> Thanks Todd, this is Nick Pendleton from the MoCo Epic by the way, I think I'll get the 2 cell Xera for now and maybe the Olympia down the road.
> Hopefully Action LED will answer the previously mentioned question about replacing the first version with the second version when they are available. I'll order mine today if they are going to replace them.


Cool, I had a feeling it was you from your screen name. You're welcome to check out my Xera anytime you like. It's a great light and I'm very happy I got it. Getting a second lighthead for free is even better. Gemini will be releasing a reflector option for the Xera at some point. The reflector provides more spill and would make for a great combo if you ran an optic/reflector combo. That's my plan.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

The_Boy said:


> Thanks Todd, this is Nick Pendleton from the MoCo Epic by the way, I think I'll get the 2 cell Xera for now and maybe the Olympia down the road.
> Hopefully Action LED will answer the previously mentioned question about replacing the first version with the second version when they are available. I'll order mine today if they are going to replace them.


We are waiting for an update from Chris and will post as soon as I have an answer.


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## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

Ordered the Xera 2 cell from Gemini yesterday, got the email this morning that it has shipped out. :thumbsup:


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Rakuman said:


> *Thanks but I was referring to if Geoman started carrying these lights, I have bought all my other lights except 1 from him in the past few years and his reputation and customer service is bar none.:thumbsup:*


GeoManGear will be officially carrying Gemini Lights before the end of this year. They have placed an order with us for several months now and will be stocking the Xera 2nd Gen and Olympia as soon as they are available. The light systems will be sold with GeoManGear batteries, which we have tested to be compatible with our lights.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

Gemini Lights said:


> GeoManGear will be officially carrying Gemini Lights before the end of this year. They have placed an order with us for several months now and will be stocking the Xera 2nd Gen and Olympia as soon as they are available. The light systems will be sold with GeoManGear batteries, which we have tested to be compatible with our lights.


*Thats great! Seeing that I already have 7 of his batteries I think I'm going to wait till Geoman has them in to press the buy option. with his history of making things right I don't think I can go wrong waiting a little. by then the bugs should be worked out also. Thanks Gemini thats the News I was waiting to here:thumbsup:*


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

Gemini Lights said:


> The light systems will be sold with GeoManGear batteries, which we have tested to be compatible with our lights.


that's even better news since I ordered a xera lighthead to use w my GMG battery on blind faith alone!


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## mat-with-one-t (Nov 23, 2010)

So why would one choose the Titan setup over the Xera setup? I am in Australia, and HATE getting burned on shipping from the USA (what is with USA and shipping anyway?), which means most of us riders down here get stuff with generally FREE shipping from the UK (Wiggle, Chainreaction, etc). These lights are looking the best value for me at the moment, but it will depend on total cost of getting them! I will be doing ~2hrs of trail commuting daily for the next two years, and need a bar + helmet setup. Should I go a Xera with maybe longer battery on bars, and Xera on helmet with (lighter) battery? Can you get them with more of a "spot" on the headlight and "spread" beam on the bars? What do you reckon Gemini Lights? Can you do deals on shipping multiples too? Cheers! Mat


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## mtbfyrefyter (Oct 11, 2011)

mat-with-one-t said:


> So why would one choose the Titan setup over the Xera setup? I am in Australia, and HATE getting burned on shipping from the USA (what is with USA and shipping anyway?), which means most of us riders down here get stuff with generally FREE shipping from the UK (Wiggle, Chainreaction, etc). These lights are looking the best value for me at the moment, but it will depend on total cost of getting them! I will be doing ~2hrs of trail commuting daily for the next two years, and need a bar + helmet setup. Should I go a Xera with maybe longer battery on bars, and Xera on helmet with (lighter) battery? Can you get them with more of a "spot" on the headlight and "spread" beam on the bars? What do you reckon Gemini Lights? Can you do deals on shipping multiples too? Cheers! Mat


Well Mate, first you must know that these lights get shipped from China (Hong Kong!) I have the Titans....which seem to be awesome at the moment. No complaints. A few have ordered the XERA, however, I will wait till the next product from Gemini comes out.

I order the Titans with the hard pack and it blows away just about any other light I have ever owned for nighttime trail riding.

I highly suggest ordering what you feel will work best for you. Get the Titan for you bar and Xera for your helmet....for commuting, you will not need to use the high setting on these lights, that is unless you want to blind a driver and have them swerve into you! :thumbsup:

Chris and Gemini Lights are setting some type of new standard with their product...affordable and well constructed! Kudos!!!

Enjoy.


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## mat-with-one-t (Nov 23, 2010)

Thanks for the quick response. I only really need them for unlit trails, but will have road sections at either end of my commute, so will need to be able to run them at "low" power and probably one on flash/strobe. I, too, noticed that Gemini are due for a new product or two. I don't need them 'till Jan, so I might see what happens! Mat


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Mine shipped! So excited


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## GW327 (Nov 8, 2011)

Mine shipped today also, I,m kinda bummed that I ordered mine on nov 4 and they just shipped today, the boy ordered his yesterday and they shipped today. Gemini must have just got some ready.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

Gemini Lights said:


> GeoManGear will be officially carrying Gemini Lights before the end of this year. They have placed an order with us for several months now and will be stocking the Xera 2nd Gen and Olympia as soon as they are available. The light systems will be sold with GeoManGear batteries, which we have tested to be compatible with our lights.


Yay!! Will the light's battery gauge still be accurate with the GMG batteries?


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## Otto Matic (Oct 31, 2011)

I just want to say how impressed I am by the way Gemeni have handled what must have been a difficult situation for them. 
I'm truly impressed, and belive that not only is it fantastic for us as customers to get a free light; it will hopefully prove to be a great move for them as a company in the long run. No doubt in my mind that the next time I'll need a light I'll be checking out Gemeni first. Thanks Chris & Gemeni, and well done!:thumbsup:


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Otto Matic said:


> I just want to say how impressed I am by the way Gemeni have handled what must have been a difficult situation for them.
> I'm truly impressed, and belive that not only is it fantastic for us as customers to get a free light; it will hopefully prove to be a great move for them as a company in the long run. No doubt in my mind that the next time I'll need a light I'll be checking out Gemeni first. Thanks Chris & Gemeni, and well done!:thumbsup:


Seems to me that these guys are designing and building great products at affordable prices, and that the relatively minor logistical issues they are having will be resolved soon. They have certainly taken care of me, and I'd trust them my business again.


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

I have a couple of questions.

1) For the folks in the US that have received these, did DHL charge you any extra fees (duty tax, etc)?

2) If I order the XERA now from Gemini, I understand I will get a Gen1 but I will get a Gen2 for free when they are ready. Will there be any shipping or other fees that I will have to cover?

I'm ready to order one right now as my current helmet light is having issues but I want to make sure I know all the costs upfront. Thanks.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

From earlier posts,it sounds like people in the US are not been charged any extra fees. I live in BC Canada and was only charged $8:95 Canada post fees for my Xera, which was first shipped directly to the US from China before crossing the boarder to BC.

Also i believe Gemini is shipping the Gen2 now for new orders so don't think you have worry about a second delivery. You will love this little light!!!!!!


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

I'm in the US and did not have any extra charges/fees.

The Xera product page says they are still shipping the gen1 light with the gen2 to come later. I doubt they will be charging extra shipping.

Headed out to use my Xera tonight.


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

indebt said:


> From earlier posts,it sounds like people in the US are not been charged any extra fees. I live in BC Canada and was only charged $8:95 Canada post fees for my Xera, which was first shipped directly to the US from China before crossing the boarder to BC.
> 
> Also i believe Gemini is shipping the Gen2 now for new orders so don't think you have worry about a second delivery. You will love this little light!!!!!!





gmcttr said:


> I'm in the US and did not have any extra charges/fees.
> 
> The Xera product page says they are still shipping the gen1 light with the gen2 to come later. I doubt they will be charging extra shipping.
> 
> Headed out to use my Xera tonight.


Thanks for the info.

Yeah I saw on their site they were still shipping the Gen1 so I was curious.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Very confusing info from Gemini i guess as i have two Gen2 Xera's on their way.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

I was not charged any customs fees, duty, etc. USA.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

indebt said:


> Very confusing info from Gemini i guess as i have two Gen2 Xera's on their way.


Doesn't seem too confusing to me...from the Xera product page:

"IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Due to the delay of the new XERA circuit board, we will be sending out a 1st Generation XERA to all orders. The 1st Generation XERA will NOT include the custom user programming as advertised.

However, in our aim to please all of our new XERA owners, we will be sending out the 2nd Generation XERA to you free of charge when it becomes available. The 2nd Generation XERA will have the custom user programming available.

The estimated shipment date of the 2nd Generation XERA is to be announced later this year."


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Got my second ride in tonight with a MJ-872 on the bar and a XERA helmet mounted.

SWEET!!! Other combinations I have tried always left me wanting "a little brighter flood" or just "a little wider spot". Well...now I have them.:thumbsup:

This combination works very well for the conditions I ride. Flowing to twisty single-track with speeds up to about 26mph. I only bothered to use the highest settings on the fastest downhills.

I'm a "happy camper" tonight.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

gmcttr said:


> Doesn't seem too confusing to me...from the Xera product page:
> 
> "IMPORTANT NOTICE:
> 
> ...


 I understand what the notice says, but email exchanges i had with Chris was that i wasn't in a rush and would wait until Gen2 were ready, and to ship them to me at that time. Now confirmed their on their way so yes for me a little confusing. Maybe there been released in limited numbers. Guess i'll know which Gen in a couple of days.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

gmcttr said:


> Got my second ride in tonight with a MJ-872 on the bar and a XERA helmet mounted.
> 
> SWEET!!! Other combinations I have tried always left me wanting "a little brighter flood" or just "a little wider spot". Well...now I have them.:thumbsup:


Another solution you might consider for that wider spot is a Titan with the wide angle lens we sell. It spreads the light only horizontally.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Action LED Lights said:


> Another solution you might consider for that wider spot is a Titan with the wide angle lens we sell. It spreads the light only horizontally.


I got the lens from you some time back for an MJ-808 and wanted more lumens once the beam was spread, thus the MJ-872. I have not tried it on the 808E.

I will say that your wide angle lens is by far the best way to spread the beam (on the 808 type of lights) that I have tried and is well worth the small price you charge.:thumbsup:


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## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

Okay, so I think it was late on Wednesday that I ordered the Xera direct from Gemini... it just arrived to my office in DC! Man this thing is tiny, can't wait to try it out! :thumbsup:


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

gmcttr said:


> I got the lens from you some time back for an MJ-808 and wanted more lumens once the beam was spread, thus the MJ-872. I have not tried it on the 808E.
> 
> I will say that your wide angle lens is by far the best way to spread the beam (on the 808 type of lights) that I have tried and is well worth the small price you charge.:thumbsup:


any chance you've tried that lens on the 872? I have an 872, and my xera light-head arrived today. I'm looking forward to giving the combo a try this week... I'd still like something to focus the 872 a bit better...


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

slyfink said:


> any chance you've tried that lens on the 872? I have an 872, and my xera light-head arrived today. I'm looking forward to giving the combo a try this week... I'd still like something to focus the 872 a bit better...


slyfink, as this is a Gemini thread we should probably take this else where. But the quick answer is yes and no.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

In Washington here and got my Gemini today as well. MICRO size! This will be _great_ on the helmet.

I'm not complaining since it's a 1st gen light with known issues, but it seems to be quite random in choosing light brightness. Sometimes it will go low-med-high-flash, sometimes just through low-med-high... while the directions say you have to hold down the button to go to flash. Kind of confusing.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

This Xeccon looks strangely familiar. I get tired of _____ companies making impossible claims. CREE rates the XM-L as having a maximum output of 1000 lumens. I wonder how there getting 1400. 
Stick with a reputable company like Gemini that actually tests their light's output and reports real numbers. (not to mention overall quality)

I now see the post I am referring to has been pulled. Glad to see it


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

gticlay said:


> ...I'm not complaining since it's a 1st gen light with known issues, but it seems to be quite random in choosing light brightness. Sometimes it will go low-med-high-flash, sometimes just through low-med-high... while the directions say you have to hold down the button to go to flash. Kind of confusing.


And I thought it was just me.....I have the same thing happening with mine. The pcb likes to make it's own selection.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I just did my 5th night jog tonight. I try to keep it between 2-3 mile jog as I dont want to keep my puppy out too long in the cold. She is a 10 month old 12 pound pug and she loves to jog and hike. I have a 4 cell pack and total weight is 345g for battery, light, and headbelt. Close to a normal weight of a mountain bike helmet as my helmet weighs in at 330g. Very nice fit and no vibration. I use the low setting when jogging but if I'm running I turn it up to medium. 

No issues here with setting selection. I preordered on Sept 20th and was the first batch of shipment.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

anekin007 said:


> No issues here with setting selection. I preordered on Sept 20th and was the first batch of shipment.


Same here


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

*Reflector*

Anybody have any reviews/feedback on the Xera reflector yet? Seen the pics Chris posted a few pages back yet wanted some trail time feedback if available. Also feedback if it's best for bar or helmet? Or is it just a preference thing?

Thanks


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I have been using mine a couple nights a week and I still love the heck out of it. My season would be winding down, but I am riding as much as ever...THANKS!


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Mine came yesterday. This thing is tiny! Played with them around the yard a bit, so much more light than my old halogen. Can't wait to get a night ride in now!


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

SOOOOO.....
Chris I have a couple of questions for you.
I just placed an order for 2 xera's and I know that they will ship soon...but I still I am left wondering how long till we hear about that Olympia triple that you have on the way. I would also like to know if there is any timeline for those reflectors.

To others who are reading this thread, the deal with the gen 1 Xera and getting a Gen 2 Xera light head later is too good to pass up. 
You see I have a cunning plan my Lord, by ordering the gen 1's now I will get two more light heads soon in the future, then I will run two on the bars via a y-cable. one with an optic and one with a reflector. I will still have one on the helmet.
the last light head will get an extra battery in the near future and it will be used to convince others how much fun night riding can be. Or a just in case back up.
Its a hell of a deal that Gemini is throwing down right now, I have not used their product yet but it seems they are really trying to change the mind set of "buy a cheap light and take your chances" to " look an affordable light and we will help and stand by it, you can even talk to a real person who will help"
I for one will be happy to see the days of expensive lights and customer service not be an exclusive club.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

I just got two of the Xera. Nice light and very bright for such a small package. However I see a potential problem. I believe in honest reporting and the info might be useful.

The problem is the strain relief on the cord grip. It does not grip the cord too well and I notice the wire expose after I mounted my light. It does not take very much force to pull the cord out. Here is a  picture of the cord that got tug out. Lucky the connection inside was still intact.

I mount my two lights inverted on the bottom of my drop like  this , if the wire get pulled out as it did above, there is a chance water may enter the housing. Since I like the light, I think a simple fix will be to use a little crazy glue to hold the cable onto the grommet in place then a little silicon around the grommet.


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## brianjt (Feb 20, 2011)

colleen c said:


> The problem is the strain relief on the cord grip. It does not grip the cord too well and I notice the wire expose after I mounted my light. It does not take very much force to pull the cord out.
> .


I just got my Xera in yesterday. I like the brightness and think both the throw and flood is very good. I have yet to try a single track ride so I don't know for sure. But I noticed the outer sleeve of the wire going into the light was pulled out(exposing the inner wire) just like yours Colleen. I haven't decided to just keep it and hope the 2nd generation has a stronger connection, or returning it. I could definitely see caching a small branch on the wire and having the wire yank loose on a ride. Solder and a small gauge wire just is not all that rugged. Maybe some silicon forced in at the grommet and wire would be strong enough to prevent the wire from yanking out. Any thoughts?


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

brianjt said:


> I just got my Xera in yesterday. I like the brightness and think both the throw and flood is very good. I have yet to try a single track ride so I don't know for sure. But I noticed the outer sleeve of the wire going into the light was pulled out(exposing the inner wire) just like yours Colleen. I haven't decided to just keep it and hope the 2nd generation has a stronger connection, or returning it. I could definitely see caching a small branch on the wire and having the wire yank loose on a ride. Solder and a small gauge wire just is not all that rugged. Maybe some silicon forced in at the grommet and wire would be strong enough to prevent the wire from yanking out. Any thoughts?


Yes, silicon will work well. What you can do is first push some of the wire into the light head. Then pull back out about 1/8" to 1/4" worth of wire. Dab the wire with a glob of silicon then push back in that 1/8" to 1/4" of wire back in. Some of the silicon will remain on the cable inside the grommet while most will accumulate outside. Now take a damp Q tip soaked with little water and clean around the grommet to give it a smooth finish. Allow to dry and it should be better than before.

A easy fix for Gemini can be made at the assembly line. They can take a small cable tie and zip it around the cable before closing off the light head unit. The cable tie around the wire inside will not slide pass the grommet if the cable get tug or pull. I believe there should be some clearance room inside the unit since it seem a lot of that cable can be slip in or out of the grommet.

I agree with you on the beam pattern. It is very satisfactory where it overshadow the loose wire grommet problem. Definately a keeper and nice design from Gemini.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Thanks for the excellent description of how to fix this potential problem, Coleen. I'm going to "siliconize" my light this weekend!


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## goneskiian (Sep 27, 2004)

Definitely a great catch Colleen. I've just ordered a few sets for myself and a friend. I hope they're able to make a change on the line. If not, I'll be trying your method for sure! :smilewinkgrin:

Looking forward to getting them!

On another note, I ordered a day and a half ago and have been checking "My Account" at Gemini and I haven't seen any update past payment received. No shipping notifications via email either. I hope they're on the way.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

I'm not sure silicone would stick to the grommet or the insulation. I'd try super glue. I'll test that tonight and report back.


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## brianjt (Feb 20, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I am going to drop a dab of silicon on the outer covering of the wire just to be sure it sticks to that before I go ahead with the real fix.


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

One of the best adhesive/sealants I've found is 3M 5200 or the fast cure 4200 marine adhesive. It's not cheap, but, it bonds to anything and provides an incredible seal. Much better than silicone IMHO.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

goneskiian said:


> Definitely a great catch Colleen. I've just ordered a few sets for myself and a friend. I hope they're able to make a change on the line. If not, I'll be trying your method for sure! :smilewinkgrin:
> 
> Looking forward to getting them!
> 
> On another note, I ordered a day and a half ago and have been checking "My Account" at Gemini and I haven't seen any update past payment received. No shipping notifications via email either. I hope they're on the way.


I ordered at the about the same time you did NOV 20th to be exact, I received an email from DHL before I got any info from Gemini, in terms of a reciept or confirmation of the order. I paid Via Paypal which I believe is a faster payment for international orders. I believe when you use a credit card the information as to be verfied by the bank of origin to help in avoiding fraud. It generally adds a day or two in the shipping process. In any case email Chris with your order number, he will be in contact with you with a day.


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## goneskiian (Sep 27, 2004)

stinkyto said:


> I ordered at the about the same time you did NOV 20th to be exact, I received an email from DHL before I got any info from Gemini, in terms of a reciept or confirmation of the order. I paid Via Paypal which I believe is a faster payment for international orders. I believe when you use a credit card the information as to be verfied by the bank of origin to help in avoiding fraud. It generally adds a day or two in the shipping process. In any case email Chris with your order number, he will be in contact with you with a day.


Thanks. I paid via paypal as well. I wonder if it's the fact that I ordered a Xera reflector that's holding up my order. I hope not.

I'll try contacting Chris directly to find out.

Cheers!


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

goneskiian said:


> Thanks. I paid via paypal as well. I wonder if it's the fact that I ordered a Xera reflector that's holding up my order. I hope not.
> 
> I'll try contacting Chris directly to find out.
> 
> Cheers!


Yes this would more then likely be the reason. Assuming ( you know what they say about that) their entire order process is automated it would place your order on hold as the Reflector would be a back order item. I bet Chris will get that sorted. I want to order a couple of reflectors as well but will wait till they are in.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

No problems with my cord. I pulled on it and it was a hard pull. It came out 1/2" then it stopped. If I pulled any harder I think it would rip. There is no expose wires on mine. My Xera was the first batch. No issues since Oct 10th. It seems the free 1st gen quality is dropping. I hope the 2nd gen Xera are not like that.


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## goneskiian (Sep 27, 2004)

Shipping info received! Yippie! :smilewinkgrin:


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

goneskiian said:


> Shipping info received! Yippie! :smilewinkgrin:


Let me know if you got a reflector with it, it isi still not on their website but I would email chris is they are available.

Mine left Cincinattie(sp?) Ohio as of 5 am this morning...only one more country to go.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

I checked my wiring, they do not pull out as described by the other folks.


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## Chromagftw (Feb 12, 2009)

wrench177 said:


> One of the best adhesive/sealants I've found is 3M 5200 or the fast cure 4200 marine adhesive. It's not cheap, but, it bonds to anything and provides an incredible seal. Much better than silicone IMHO.


+1 Agreed.

Excellent sealant yet structurally flexible. Withstands the elements very well.

Do it right. Do it once.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I am a boat guy and just be advised that 5200 is forever. Be sure you want forever whenever you use it. 

My wires etc are money. I love this light.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

So I got my first ride in on my Xera yesterday. 

First off, I'll start by saying the build quality on these is fantastic, as is the form factor. they are beautiful little units. And given what comes in the full kit - light head, charger, battery but also helmet mount and headstrap for use as a headlamp - it is a great value. 

So on the drive over to the trail, I installed the reflector, because I'm looking for a spot rather than a flood and it took all of 30 seconds. nice. I am using a magicshine 872 on the bars. The Xera was replacing my magicshine 808, and I was using it with a geomangear battery (the 4.5 amp one).

Now on to performance. As mentioned, it is replacing an 808. I hate to say it, but I found the Xera was not an improvement over the 808. I was looking for something with more punch to deliver more spot farther down the trail. I want something that will shine farther ahead of the 872 when I'm going fast downhill, as I found I can outrun the 808 when things really get moving. I guess the best analogy I can think of is I want a sniper rifle on my helmet, and a sawed-off shotgun on my bars. I found the Xera is not any better at throwing the light farther down the trail than the 808. The main difference is in the width of the spot, which is wider on the Xera, and more uniform. It also has a broader halo, though there is a little dark area between the spot and the halo. I would also say the light is less blue and more white. I'm not sure what difference that makes in terms of performance. 

I rode for 1h40 minutes, on high the whole time, and when I was done the LED indicator was red. I was guessing that with the GMG battery, I would be getting over 3 hours of run time easily. Maybe the Xera indicator doesn't play nice with the GMG battery circuitry... who knows. More night rides will be needed to determine ultimate run time. 

Lastly, temperature: after the ride, while changing in the parking lot I left the light running so I could see what I was doing. When I was done, maybe 5 minutes with no airflow on the battery, the light head was pretty hot. Almost too hot to hold. I think at that point we had just dropped below freezing caus' the snow that was wet on the way in had started to freeze on our way out. I'm not sure what this means, but it's probably worth keeping an eye on temps if you live in warm climates.

So in conclusion, I'm still going to keep the Xera, the build quality and form factor are great. But had I known it would not have been an improvement over the the 808, I don't think i would have bought it. Still, it remains a great light, and a great value.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

slyfink said:


> So I got my first ride in on my Xera yesterday.
> 
> First off, I'll start by saying the build quality on these is fantastic, as is the form factor. they are beautiful little units. And given what comes in the full kit - light head, charger, battery but also helmet mount and headstrap for use as a headlamp - it is a great value.
> 
> ...


OOC, do you have the 808 or 808E (P7 or XML)? The reason I ask is because my Xera is clearly putting out more light than my P7's to about 20'. I am not using a reflector on the Xera. The 808 is, like you said, very blue and I think that's a detriment in rainy, wet conditions - the tint seems to blend in with wet wood and mud. Anyhoo, the whole reason I'm posting is because I think what you are looking for doesn't really exist. I don't think you can get more throw and any more "spot" lighting out of a light and that is exactly what I have never liked about the OG MS lights. To outrun the OG MS, I would think you need to be riding A-line or something :lol:

I did notice that the lighthead gets pretty warm when just standing around. It never got all that hot when I was riding and would reach up to check but mine also got pretty hot hosing my bike off afterward. I just switched it to medium and it was fine after that.

I also purchased an 872 light like you said you are using and I have to say, it's waaaaaay to floody and I think that's what you are really not liking but not realizing it. Once you get up to speed, you are looking through the 872 flood and basically only riding with the helmet spot on, which isn't really enough once you get going faster. Plus that bright 872 flood makes your eye pucker up and makes the helmet spot "seem" less bright where if you had something that wasn't as spotty as the OG MS and something not so darn floody as the 872, it would throw more into the medium range and augment the spot's light. One good combo that I've found is the TridenX that I modified with XPG leds (which they sell as the "750" model now) and I also really like the Baja Strykr on the bars with the football lens for the medium flood plus the Xera on the helmet.

What I'm really hoping is that medium flood is the new Olympia XML light they are supposed to release soon.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Where did you get the reflectors from. the website still says coming soon. I just ordered two lights and I may even get them today according DHL Website, but I held off on the reflectors. I cold had them with my free shipping


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Good day everyone!

We apologize for our absence lately on the forums. We have been reading all of your messages on the thread daily. Thank you for the feedback you've given. We love to hear from you, both good and bad.

We do know of the problem with the cable housing sliding out of the XERA light head. This only occurs in some of the 1st Gen XERAs but is secure in the 2nd Gens. We do plan on sending 2nd Gen replacements to all current XERA owners, so the problem will be solved.

There are no longer any delays for shipping. When we receive an order for XERA, we send you a 1st Gen light set right away so you may use a light for your night rides. DHL is pretty quick with a 3 day guaranteed delivery time.

Estimations of the delivery date of 2nd Gen XERA is around 10 days from now. However, considering the difficulty we've had to get these new circuit boards done, we cannot promise anything.

In other news, the Gemini Olympia has landed. Here is a sneak peek...









Happy thanksgiving.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Gemini Lights said:


> Good day everyone!
> 
> We apologize for our absence lately on the forums. We have been reading all of your messages on the thread daily. Thank you for the feedback you've given. We love to hear from you, both good and bad.
> 
> ...


OH Yeah! We haven't had beam pattern pics yet, but are there options on the optics? (gticlay ducks to avoid thrown objects.....)


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Thanks for the sneak peak, I have not even ridden my Xera's yet and I think this may go on my Xmas list...would they go on a xmas list if you get my meaning or would we have to wait till new year?
If you would not mind how can I get a reflector or two for my XERA's?


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

GTIClay: I have the 808 - the P7 not the XML. Also, I'm not sure what you're referring to re "_OG_ MS lights". What's _OG_? I'll try the Xera with the optic instead of the reflector then, it might be better for my needs.

Stinkyto: I simply ordered a reflector when I ordered my lighthead directly from Gemini. I placed my order as part of a large order. The other person who ordered a Xera kit also received a reflector and two lenses.

Gemini Lights: the Olympia looks fantastic&#8230; I'm looking forward to seeing it reviewed by a few people. It might be a good replacement for my 872... I have to ask though; did you see my comment about battery life and LED indicator with the GMG battery? Do you know if it's a question of circuitry? Any idea what the battery life should be with the 4.5Ah battery?


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> In other news, the Gemini Olympia has landed. Here is a sneak peek...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


:thumbsup:


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> In other news, the Gemini Olympia has landed. Here is a sneak peek...


Sweet! Looks very promising. I like the smaller package and l am looking forward to getting one to test as an helmet light. My big question will be the battery pack for this unit.

At 1500-1700 lumens, I guessing a draw of 2.6 to 3+ amps. So that means the 2 cell 2600 mah 7.4v pack may not be advisable to use for the triple. This mean I may have to place the pack elsewhere in my pocket and run an extension becasuse of weight issue (I also got a Contour cam on my helmet). That being said, I suggest a heavier gauge wiring extension cable for this unit so that the Vdrop from the extension is kept at a minum so that things like the battery indicator will be more accurate.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Slyfink...does the reflector unit you got for the Xera look just like in the above pic from Gemini Lights? Orange peel texture with clear lense? Looking forward to getting mine to try out but I know the trails I ride here in New England are so technical I'll never outrun the light.

Chris...thanks for the sneak peak of the new Olympia triple. REALLY nice size that could easily be helmet mounted or bar mounted. You did mention the beam will be 25 degrees so probably a bar mount light really. Again, a more focused reflector/optic/lens option would be great to have. With the small size and 3 XML's I would be somewhat concerned about heat. With my Xera if I'm stopped I turn it down or off mostly to conserve power with my 2 cell pack but with heat buildup in mind.

3 ideas for you...a nice center mount, a remote switch option, and a triple 3 across with relector options (like 3 Xera's all lined up). Gotta keep you busy!


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

slyfink said:


> GTIClay: I have the 808 - the P7 not the XML. Also, I'm not sure what you're referring to re "_OG_ MS lights". What's _OG_? I'll try the Xera with the optic instead of the reflector then, it might be better for my needs.


Haha - "original gangsta" as in the first ones.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

gticlay said:


> Haha - "original gangsta" as in the first ones.


ha! that's what the urban dictionary said, but I couldn't figure out how it applied! At any rate, though I'm certainly not riding a-line, there's a few spots locally where I'm definitely outrunning my head-light. usually it's when a high-speed smooth section spits you into a gnarly section at speed. then I just can't find my line in time.

You might be right though, it could be due to the fact that the 872 is so bright that my eyes adjust to that amount of light, meaning they are not able to use the light that the head-light is throwing farther down the trail...

To bring this back on_topic, I wonder if the Olympia will focus the light better and not completely overpower the Xera. I certainly hope so.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

skidad said:


> Slyfink...does the reflector unit you got for the Xera look just like in the above pic from Gemini Lights? Orange peel texture with clear lense? Looking forward to getting mine to try out but I know the trails I ride here in New England are so technical I'll never outrun the light.


yes. orange peel texture and two clear lenses, just as in the picture above.



skidad said:


> Chris...thanks for the sneak peak of the new Olympia triple. REALLY nice size that could easily be helmet mounted or bar mounted. You did mention the beam will be 25 degrees so probably a bar mount light really. Again, a more focused reflector/optic/lens option would be great to have. With the small size and 3 XML's I would be somewhat concerned about heat. With my Xera if I'm stopped I turn it down or off mostly to conserve power with my 2 cell pack but with heat buildup in mind.
> 
> 3 ideas for you...a nice center mount, a remote switch option, and a triple 3 across with relector options (like 3 Xera's all lined up). Gotta keep you busy!


I agree with most of this. Only thing I'm not keen on is a remote... I prefer the simplicity of no remote.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

> yes. orange peel texture and two clear lenses, just as in the picture above.


Awesome, thanks! A totally smooth reflector would help throw so another suggestion I guess for Chris to think about.

I would be more happy with a stepless adjustable knob to adjust light intensity in lew of a remote (I think?). Remote suggestion could be an option so no worries about keeping it simple.

....and the big question..when will the Olympia be available and what will the deal be for pre-orders? New Magic Shine 880 double XML vs Olympia XML triple will be interesting to see how they compare.


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

Gemini Lights said:


> ..In other news, the *Gemini Olympia* has landed. Here is a sneak peek...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cool...I realize this is just the proto-type but judging from the reflectors it looks like this will be a "Flood Monster". Beam pics ASAP. :thumbsup:


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## Brooks04 (Jun 1, 2004)

slyfink said:


> You might be right though, it could be due to the fact that the 872 is so bright that my eyes adjust to that amount of light, meaning they are not able to use the light that the head-light is throwing farther down the trail...
> 
> To bring this back on_topic, I wonder if the Olympia will focus the light better and not completely overpower the Xera. I certainly hope so.


You can always use a lower power level on the 872 so it is not so bright. It will still offer a good flood pattern and not be so over powering with the Xera,


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Well I got my lights today, and I do have to say "Wow" This is a great little light. I ahve only played with in the backyard like so many on here have done and I will get a chance to ride later in the week, but I am in awe of this little light and what it is throwing out there.
I do not have the exposed wire as others on here have mentioned, so happy about that.
This will be the first time I have ridden at night since the days of my BLT Lead Acid water bottle light, I hate to think what the lumens on that was! If the honeymoon lasts and this light can deliver many monjths down the road I will be impressed by what I paid and the performance that comes with it. So far Gemini has been a good company to deal with. Chris was helpful with my questions, gave me the confidence to order from them and now are providing free lights for the Gen 1 xera orders. At this point what more can you ask for?


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Brooks04 said:


> You can always use a lower power level on the 872 so it is not so bright. It will still offer a good flood pattern and not be so over powering with the Xera,


Yeaaaaahhhh, ummmmm, no. It don't work like that homie.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Thought I'd share an email response I got from Chris at Gemini. "As for the OLYMPIA, I highly recommend it over two XERAs for the bar. The two XERAs will give a brighter but relatively the same beam pattern. The OLYMPIA will provide about the twice the output with a wider 25 degree beam angle".

I too want more throw than my Bikeray IV or the 856/872 MS lights proivide. I get a great beam pattern running two MS 808Es/with wide angle lens but hate the weight of two complete systems. Maybe the OLYMPIA will be the answer.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

MRMOLE said:


> Thought I'd share an email response I got from Chris at Gemini. "As for the OLYMPIA, I highly recommend it over two XERAs for the bar. The two XERAs will give a brighter but relatively the same beam pattern. The OLYMPIA will provide about the twice the output with a wider 25 degree beam angle".
> 
> I too want more throw than my Bikeray IV or the 856/872 MS lights proivide. I get a great beam pattern running two MS 808Es/with wide angle lens but hate the weight of two complete systems. Maybe the OLYMPIA will be the answer.


Both the MS856/872 and the new Olympia (according to Chris) have a 25 degree beam spread so it will be VERY interesting to see the throw/flood difference of the 3 XML's vs. 4 XPG's.

I'm pretty darn happy with my MS856 but was out again last night and agree if it would be great if it had just a bit more throw. Money well spent IMO but if the new Gemini triple XML has better throw and the big flood then the MS will go to backup duty for my kids and friends.


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

skidad said:


> Both the MS856/872 and the new Olympia (according to Chris) have a 25 degree beam spread so it will be VERY interesting to see the throw/flood difference of the 3 XML's vs. 4 XPG's.
> 
> I'm pretty darn happy with my MS856 but was out again last night and agree if *it would be great if it had just a bit more throw.* Money well spent IMO but if the new Gemini triple XML has better throw and the big flood then the MS will go to backup duty for my kids and friends.


I think most people will feel the same way as you. The quad MS's and Bikeray IV are fine lights with good flood beam patterns. As such not really worth buying something new unless you can improve upon the throw a bit. At least the Olympia will be using reflectors so perhaps a good degree of light will continue into the distance. I'm hesitate to think that will be the case though. If it brings too much light into the foreground it will overwhelm your pupils and lessen your distance vision. However if it throws as far as a DiNotte XML-3 with a brighter wider beam and doesn't overwhelm the foreground then Gemini will have succeeded. It will be hard to top the success of the XERA though.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

@ Skidad and Cat,
Yep, I have an 872 and it's way too floody to work with the XERA. It just makes your eyes pucker up and you can't see the throw of the helmet light through the intense, but very short range flood of the 872. It's a horrible combo if you start trying to ride fast. If they want the Olympia to work well with the XERA, it'll have to be a mid range optic or some combo of flood from 1 or 2 off the leds and a nice throw from 1 or 2 of them.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

gticlay said:


> @ Skidad and Cat,
> Yep, I have an 872 and it's way too floody to work with the XERA. It just makes your eyes pucker up and you can't see the throw of the helmet light through the intense, but very short range flood of the 872. It's a horrible combo if you start trying to ride fast. If they want the Olympia to work well with the XERA, it'll have to be a mid range optic or some combo of flood from 1 or 2 off the leds and a nice throw from 1 or 2 of them.


this.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

gticlay said:


> @ Skidad and Cat,
> Yep, I have an 872 and it's way too floody to work with the XERA. It just makes your eyes pucker up and you can't see the throw of the helmet light through the intense, but very short range flood of the 872. It's a horrible combo if you start trying to ride fast. If they want the Olympia to work well with the XERA, it'll have to be a mid range optic or some combo of flood from 1 or 2 off the leds and a nice throw from 1 or 2 of them.


I respectfully disagree. How fast, exactly, are you going??? I'm hitting tight singletrack @ 20-25mph and the 872 is suited perfectly on the bars with some sort of spot/throw headlight. On wider gravel roads it's even better. Maybe the problem is target fixation and you need to look further down trail.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

TwoHeadsBrewing said:


> I respectfully disagree. How fast, exactly, are you going??? I'm hitting tight singletrack @ 20-25mph and the 872 is suited perfectly on the bars with some sort of spot/throw headlight. On wider gravel roads it's even better. Maybe the problem is target fixation and you need to look further down trail.


maybe the terrain you're riding isn't quite technical enough. speed is just part of the equation.


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Not an MS or Gemini user here so take this for what it's worth... I'll agree with gticlay. I find a floody barlight to be quite the distraction to fast riding or really most night riding. Get the light down the trail with only a little spill close in. That's what works best for me. If I need to see really well what is close in, I'll look at it and light it up with the helmet light.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

slyfink said:


> maybe the terrain you're riding isn't quite technical enough. speed is just part of the equation.


LOL, that's definitely not the issue. Most of the trails around here are technical and rough. Very little smooth flowy singletrack.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Here is a specific example of what I'm night riding. I still hit all the trail 'features'. On the second video at 2:02 to 2:05, that's an example of something where the 872 is too floody coming around that berm and hitting the jump. I simply can't see around the berm corner and up the jump like I can with other setups that I have. When I use my Baja Strykr on the bars, for example, even though there's less light, I can see much better. Oh, and even though the vids say the trail is going away, the loggers were real careful and it's mostly OK.

http://www.pinkbike.com/v/188536

http://www.pinkbike.com/v/188070


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## motox155 (Jan 27, 2006)

Just wanted to give everyone a quick thanks for all the reviews/info. I was looking for a new light and found all the reviews helpful.

Now I'll try to give a little feedback. I'm a long time night rider. The first light I ever bought was the old dual Night Sun with the water bottle battery. This was back in the late 80's and I probably paid a couple hundred bucks for it. Back then it was the ultimate. I used it till the battery gave up...maybe 5 years. Then bought another battery that lasted almost as long. Next up was a small nite rider halogen...used it for a few years. It wasn't too bright but I just couldn't justify spending the cash for what they wanted back then for a good light. Then came along the HID lights. After riding with one I had to have one. Bought the Nite Rider Storm. It's been a great light the past 5 years but the battery is understandably getting a bit long in the tooth. For the past couple years I've been using a Nite Rider MiNewt 150 on the helmet along with the Storm on the bars...it's a decent setup.

After reading about the XERA on here I decided to get one. I will say I was blown away how small it is but even more so how bright it is. On high it is brighter than my Storm and the weight of the light/battery is substantially lighter. The only thing I wish it did was throw a bit more flood. I had it mounted on my bars...loved the lightness of the battery/light combo but could definitely notice a lack of light on the edges. Even with the helmet light I still want a bit more flood from the bars. Riding on a straight trail it was fine, but tight switchbacks I preferred the way my HID threw out the light.

I solved my problem by ordering the Titan. I actually wish I ordered it the same time as the XERA to save some shipping...but live and learn. I've now got the Titan mounted on my bars and the XERA on the helmet. This combo is great. The Titan throws quite a bit more flood but is no slouch by itself, but combined with the helmet mounted XERA is more light than I've ever had the experience in using. 

The advances of technology are great. I paid less for these two lights then I did for my last HID light. The lights arrived from DHL on the date they said, they come with everything needed to mount on bar or helmet. They also come with a headband mount to use them off the bike. I hope they last as long as my previous light but so far I'm impressed and feel they are a great value.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Funny, just today in another thread a guy was looking for his first 2 light setup (for less than $300) and I recommended this exact Titan/Xera combo. Xera is really best on the helmet and so lightweight with a 2 cell pack. Great bang for the buck that combo and of course the FREE 2nd gen Xera light head doesn't hurt when it finally ships.

For the price you might want to try this wide angle lens on the Titan. Action-LED-Lights - Wide Angle Lens


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## midgedork (Nov 26, 2008)

*another satisfied customer*

I'm an owner of 5 of the old magic shines from geoman. Loved the lights and the customer service from them but one thing that was a bit problematic was that I am a trail runner and avid backcountry guy. The magicshine's were great for biking but not as good for trail running or camping due to the cumbersome head lamp set up (especially with the cord exiting from the front in the old model). I love the xera for it's small form factor and light weight. It really is a perfect light for running. Shipping was amazing,. I ordered it on wednesday the 23rd and it arrived today the 28th! I just used it to walk the dog! Can't wait to trail run tomorrow am!


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

I think it's unfortunate that the Titan has never been included in any of the light shootouts.
The P7 versions performed better than the MS808 and I see no reason why the xml version wouldn't be just as good with a longer run time and for less money. Timing is the reason I own MS 808E's but I run them with the action wide angle lens and it made a good spot into a very good all round light. It more than doubled the beam width with only a slight reduction in throw so if you own a Titan do yourself a favor and try this upgrade.


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## midgedork (Nov 26, 2008)

*I figured out how to turn off*



rides2slow said:


> I'm hoping version II of XERA can be turned off. It doesn't seem to be a plus to me that you can't turn off the battery indicator light. I bought the light because of the versatility of the head strap and hoped to use it off the grid in certain situations.


Not sure if this works with your unit. But to turn off the healdlamp press and hold down to get the headlamp to go into blink mode. Then press the button one more time and it turns off then.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Soooooooo, if the Titan the same size as a Magicshine, the Olympia is SMALLER? Wow, that's gonna be one heck of a light!


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## rides2slow (Jun 18, 2007)

*thanks for trying*



midgedork said:


> Not sure if this works with your unit. But to turn off the healdlamp press and hold down to get the headlamp to go into blink mode. Then press the button one more time and it turns off then.


Thanks for trying. It didn't work on mine. With the second push it exited the blinking mode but the beam was on.


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## Todd_F (Feb 7, 2004)

midgedork said:


> Not sure if this works with your unit. But to turn off the healdlamp press and hold down to get the headlamp to go into blink mode. Then press the button one more time and it turns off then.


With mine, if you hold it down when on, it will quickly cycle to blink and if you continue to hold the button, it will then turn off.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Ok need a little help Xera owners, I have a couple of them, one for bars and helmet. I like the light and have been enjoying Night Riding for the first time in 18 years, and this is were I need the help.
when I was a young lad, I had two lights mounted on the bar, one was a flood and one was a spot. times changed and Lead-acid water bottle batteries are now Li-ion batteries that fit on a helmet. 
My Question is are the Reflectors from Gemini worth the up grade. I was thinking a spot on the helmet would be worth it, but I am really not sure its been 18years.
Question 2, when the gen 2's show up I will put two xera's on the bars, should one of those have a reflector to mix the light as well?
Thanks


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

stinkyto said:


> Ok need a little help Xera owners, I have a couple of them, one for bars and helmet. I like the light and have been enjoying Night Riding for the first time in 18 years, and this is were I need the help.
> when I was a young lad, I had two lights mounted on the bar, one was a flood and one was a spot. times changed and Lead-acid water bottle batteries are now Li-ion batteries that fit on a helmet.
> My Question is are the Reflectors from Gemini worth the up grade. I was thinking a spot on the helmet would be worth it, but I am really not sure its been 18years.
> Question 2, when the gen 2's show up I will put two xera's on the bars, should one of those have a reflector to mix the light as well?
> Thanks


*Just like you did in the past, One flood and one spot on bars is the best of both worlds spread and throw:thumbsup:. And when I get the Xera I will for sure be putting the reflector on the lid nothing like a spot to line up the target... for sure worth the upgrade:thumbsup:*


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Rakuman said:


> *Just like you did in the past, One flood and one spot on bars is the best of both worlds spread and throw:thumbsup:. And when I get the Xera I will for sure be putting the reflector on the lid nothing like a spot to line up the target... for sure worth the upgrade:thumbsup:*


Thanks Rakuman, last 2 questions for you and anyone reading this with experience.
Are you suggesting that I flood+spot on the Bars AND a Spot on the lid? (thanks to Gemini we are getting free gen 2's so I will have the lights to work with)
Is the reflector offered by Gemini good?


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

stinkyto said:


> Thanks Rakuman, last 2 questions for you and anyone reading this with experience.
> *Are you suggesting that I flood+spot on the Bars AND a Spot on the lid*? (thanks to Gemini we are getting free gen 2's so I will have the lights to work with)
> Is the reflector offered by Gemini good?


*Exactly! that's what I am running right now, just different brand couldn't be more happy. now I would like to try this combo 1 Olympia and a Xera with a reflector in it for throw on the bars, then a Xera on the lid with the reflector for spot, THAT would be hard to beat:thumbsup:*


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

Rakuman said:


> *Exactly! that's what I am running right now, just different brand couldn't be more happy. now I would like to try this combo 1 Olympia and a Xera with a reflector in it for throw on the bars, then a Xera on the lid with the reflector for spot, THAT would be hard to beat:thumbsup:*


and this is probably what I'll end up with when the Olympia is released.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

slyfink said:


> and this is probably what I'll end up with when the Olympia is released.


 Ah Crap I am going to sucked into being a lumen whore aren't I, it is bad enough being a bike whore but a Lumen one as well!? I am going to have 4 xera's and now an Olympia. I wonder how much they will be?
I got an email from Chris saying they would be ready in about 2 weeks. I wonder what the burn time will be if it is a true 1500-1700 lumens.

P.S does any one have the Page? for the review of the xera in the 2012 shootout? I tried skimming through the thread but did not find the actual review. Is the Xera pushing an actual 800?


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

stinkyto said:


> Ah Crap I am going to sucked into being a lumen whore aren't I, it is bad enough being a bike whore but a Lumen one as well!? I am going to have 4 xera's and now an Olympia. I wonder how much they will be?
> I got an email from Chris saying they would be ready in about 2 weeks. I wonder what the burn time will be if it is a true 1500-1700 lumens.
> 
> P.S does any one have the Page? for the review of the xera in the 2012 shootout? I tried skimming through the thread but did not find the actual review. Is the Xera pushing an actual 800?


They still haven't reviewed the XERA (or a bunch of other lights I want to read about). They did do light meter measurements where it pumped out 71 LUX (800 lumen claim) compared to the Magicshine 808 of only 62 LUX (1000 lumen claim)

Bike Lights Shootout Light Meter Measurements | Mountain Bike Review


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

gticlay said:


> They still haven't reviewed the XERA (or a bunch of other lights I want to read about). They did do light meter measurements where it pumped out 71 LUX (800 lumen claim) compared to the Magicshine 808 of only 62 LUX (1000 lumen claim)
> 
> Bike Lights Shootout Light Meter Measurements | Mountain Bike Review


I do not know If I am about to say this correctly but
how many Lux (Luxs, Luxi?) make a lumen? is 71 Lux equal to 800 lumens.

Thanks


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## blackflys64 (Feb 15, 2006)

Anyone think that 1 xera on the bars and 1 on the helmet will cut it for fast flowy singletrack? It would be nice get away with the gen 1 and the free gen 2 comming.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

blackflys64 said:


> Anyone think that 1 xera on the bars and 1 on the helmet will cut it for fast flowy singletrack? It would be nice get away with the gen 1 and the free gen 2 comming.


this is what I have right now. I ordered two Xera's (gen 1) and I like the light that is coming from them. I live in the PNW so its more of a slow tech type of ride with the occasional fast section, I am going to try a reflector to put a spot on the lid. when the Gen 2's show up I will put two Xeras on the bars.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

stinkyto said:


> I do not know If I am about to say this correctly but
> how many Lux (Luxs, Luxi?) make a lumen? is 71 Lux equal to 800 lumens.
> 
> Thanks


This is from their website - a LUX is 1 lumen per square meter.

Lumens

What is it?: Lumen is a unit of light measurement otherwise known as luminous flux.

We use lumens to compare the total amount of light output from a light emitter. However, lumens isn't everything. In fact, lumens will only tell you a small part of the picture to what you're actually getting and what you're after. We need to know how the lumens are used. Lumens is comparable to the analogy of a car's brake horsepower.

Lumens is measured using a highly specialzed light integrating sphere.

Lux

What is it?: Lux is a unit of light measurement taking area into account. In other words, light intensity.

We use lux to measure the amount of light output in a given area. One lux is equal to one lumen per square meter. Lux is a good measurement for determining and comparing the brightness of a beam. The beam is spread over a specific area and therefore we use lux to measure light intensity. However, lux is just another number and doesn't provide the complete picture of what we're after. We need to know the beam angle and look at beam shots to fully understand the picture.

Lux is measured using a lux meter.

Beam Angle (FWHM)

What is it?: Beam angle is the angle of which a light is emitted. More specifically, it is the Full Width at Half Maximum.

Since there is no real way to measure the 'edge' of light we measure the beam angle from where the light is at 50% intensity (FWHM). By being able to measure where 50% light intensity ends, it gives us the majority of where the light is used thus representing the beam angle. Smaller beam angles will have an intense hot spot, where as larger beam angles will have a lesser intensity (due to a larger area). Take a look at our beam shots and see if you can gauge where 50% intensity ends, giving you the beam angle.

Watts

What is it?: Watt is a unit of power consumed.

More wattage produces more lumens. We can use wattage and lumens to measure efficiency of the light emitter. In the case of LEDs the efficiency is much higher than that of older halogen lights, producing significantly more lumens per watt. However, more power also means more heat is produced.


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

stinkyto said:


> I do not know If I am about to say this correctly but
> how many Lux (Luxs, Luxi?) make a lumen? is 71 Lux equal to 800 lumens.
> 
> Thanks


Two separate measurements. Lumen is the measurement of total light output. Lux is a measurement of light intensity. A 500 lumen flood lamp will have a low lux value. The same 500 lumen in a spot lamp will have a high lux value.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Ok, so does the Xera with 71 lux, and 800 lumen (claim) equal a good bright light when matched with its competitiors. As I have said before its the first time in 18 years that I have ridden at night.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

stinkyto said:


> Ok, so does the Xera with 71 lux, and 800 lumen (claim) equal a good bright light when matched with its competitiors. As I have said before its the first time in 18 years that I have ridden at night.


I have the MS808 also and the Xera is clearly brighter. Turn both on and the Xera washes out the 808, not the other way around. Plus it has an awesome beam pattern.


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## khskenny (Sep 29, 2009)

I just received my Xera. Not too excited. There are exposed wires at the lighthead AND battery. The lighthead only turns on intermittently.

I put in a warranty claim. We'll see how well the company handles claims.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

khskenny said:


> I just received my Xera. Not too excited. There are exposed wires at the lighthead AND battery. The lighthead only turns on intermittently.
> 
> I put in a warranty claim. We'll see how well the company handles claims.


Hi Kenny,

I've sent you an email regarding the issue and a replacement unit is already with DHL.

Cheers,

Chris


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

gticlay said:


> ...I'm not complaining since it's a 1st gen light with known issues, but it seems to be quite random in choosing light brightness. Sometimes it will go low-med-high-flash, sometimes just through low-med-high... while the directions say you have to hold down the button to go to flash. Kind of confusing.





gmcttr said:


> And I thought it was just me.....I have the same thing happening with mine. The pcb likes to make it's own selection.





Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Kenny,
> 
> I've sent you an email regarding the issue and a replacement unit is already with DHL.
> 
> ...


Do those of us with the flakey mode selection get a 1st gen replacement?


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## khskenny (Sep 29, 2009)

Thanks for the very speedy reply chris. Looking forward to the new light. Just so everyone knows, chris is taking care of return shipping of the defective unit. DOA happens, it's how the company handles the outliers that matters.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

gticlay said:


> I have the MS808 also and the Xera is clearly brighter. Turn both on and the Xera washes out the 808, not the other way around. Plus it has an awesome beam pattern.


you using the reflector or the optic? I put the reflector in there straight away, didn't even try the optic...


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

gmcttr said:


> Do those of us with the flakey mode selection get a 1st gen replacement?


The 2nd gen replacement is intended to address issues like that. I already e-mailed about it.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Mine continues to be flawless. Been using it twice a week for my Tues/Thurs after woork ride. This has been a winter game changer for me.


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## yukonfatbike (Nov 28, 2010)

Orderd a Cera a couple of weeks ago - after a bit of a problem with the ordering process (paypal) Chris took care of the problem himself with immediacy, thanks Chris. Light made it from China to Hong Kong to Cinncinati and back to Richmond BC in just under 48 hrs. TAnd there it sat for 5 days (local DHL noted the Richmond delay happens quite often - must be run by former employees of Canada Post), but made it after that. 
Light has been stellar, no wiring or mode problems at all, cold snap didn't seem to bother it at all. And man, is that puppy bright! I have had lots of different lighting systems before but two thumbs up on this one!


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

We're very happy to hear you're enjoying your XERA.

Sorry to hear about the delay. In Richmond, sometimes Canada Customs allows it to pass through quickly and other times it's stopped for inspection etc. This is akin to other courier services that pass through, not just DHL.

We've updated some of our pages to show the new XERA reflector in action:

*XERA Reflector vs Optic*

We are shipping the reflectors now. In other good news, the 2nd Gen XERA Light Heads will be shipped by the end of next week. If any of you would like to purchase additional items (e.g. Battery packs, Y-Cables, Reflectors) shipping will be on us. Your items will piggyback the 2nd Gen XERA for free.

Just send us a message with your items you'd like to purchase and your original order number and we'll handle it for you.


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## eskachig (Jun 11, 2011)

I got a first real night ride on my first-gen xera last night (I'm not really a night rider, but sometimes get caught out), and I'm really happy with it. This is my first 'real' light, and my only one - but when I needed it, it definitely came through. The build quality seemed fine to me, but I haven't tried yanking on my cord like some people have said. And the beam pattern was just like in the pictures - somewhat spotty but with enough flood to use as my only light, and nice and even throughout.

I do wish I'd gotten the larger power-pack though, as I find even the small one annoying on my helmet even tiny as it is - but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't notice a larger battery in my camelback clone.

All in all I'm very happy with this light, now I just need another one for my bars!


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Oh man, the reflector looks reeeally nice! Mos def getting one with the 2.gen.


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## blackflys64 (Feb 15, 2006)

Any chance that I would be able to run a titan and xera off the same battery pack?
Can the 5200mah pack deliver the necesarry current safely?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Yes, both the Titan and Xera are compatible with the 2-cell and 4-cell 7.4V battery packs. All our light heads work with GeomanGear batteries too.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

Gemini Lights said:


> In other good news, the 2nd Gen XERA Light Heads will be shipped by the end of next week. If any of you would like to purchase additional items (e.g. Battery packs, Y-Cables, Reflectors) shipping will be on us. Your items will piggyback the 2nd Gen XERA for free.
> 
> Send us a message with your order number and we'll handle it for you.


"any other items"...: does that include an Olympia system?!?! :ihih:


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

blackflys64 said:


> Any chance that I would be able to run a titan and xera off the same battery pack?
> Can the 5200mah pack deliver the necesarry current safely?


If you mean can you run them both at the same time, yes, the battery will safely put out the necessary current, but the life of the battery will be shortened by running it that hard. Also, your run time will be about 1/3 of what it is running just one of the lights. (assuming they are both on high) At higher loads the battery capacity drops.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

slyfink said:


> "any other items"...: does that include an Olympia system?!?! :ihih:


Well because it's our responsibility to provide a XERA head light with programmable features we will paying for shipping. We wanted to notify our customers who would like an extra battery, splitter cable or reflector for their 2nd Gen XERA setup. We would send them together free of charge. (We know shIpping for a single item can be costly)

"Any additional items" would include an Olympia set too if it was for sale. 

Send us a message here or in the contact form with your original order number and the additional items and we'll handle the rest.

December is here... and we're hoping for snow in the lower Vancouver Island area as that would make an epic night riding video..


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

Now I've got to decide what goodies I want to add to my order.  Definitely want an optic lense, and a splitter........and maybe a battery. 

Still loving my Xeras. Great pair of lights.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Clever business man that Chris:ihih:...the longer we wait for our 2nd gen Xera's the more items we keep tacking onto our orders:yesnod: A little longer and we'll all Olympia's as well:lol:

Lets see, he's got me for:
Extra battery
Helmet mount
Y cable
Reflector
and of course the free 2nd gen Xera

All good Chris, just having some fun with ya Hopefully we all feel good in the end:thumbsup:


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

*XERA 2nd Gen "production version" is officially complete.
*

Highlights:
Brighter _and_ more efficient than 1st Gen (71 MTBR lux).
Custom user programmable from 10-100% brightness on all 3 presets.
Flash mode is also user programmable from 10-100% brightness.
Factory reset available to revert to 100% - 60% - 20% settings.

*Shipping this week.*


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Good to hear Chris, Looking forward to the 2nd Gen's.:thumbsup:


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## Lintott (Oct 14, 2006)

Downhill with single Gemini Xera's on the handle bars 






Great lights! I need the 2nd gen now, since I doubt I will be getting these back...

They look brighter in reality than on the video.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Finally got my first night ride in with the xera, awesome!!!

Will post better review when not using my phone.....


Very happy!


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

I initially ordered the light kit, and upgraded to the 4 cell battery pack. Then after thinking about it for another day, I e-mailed Gemini & asked them to add a second light head, as well as a 2 cell battery pack.
They were quick to update the order, & it ended up saving me on the shipping so I was happy. 
I figured it would be better to have an up-to-date "backup" light as well, as my old 3 watt halogen backup is about useless. This way everything is compatible with each other in case I have issues on the trail.

The lights showed up, then it started raining, then I did something to my back, so I've been staring at these for 2 weeks, driving me nuts!

Got out last night for a nice long ride, left the truck at 5:30pm, lights turned on by 6pm, and back to truck by 8:30pm.

Had the 4-cell battery on my bike frame & light on the handlebar. Left this one on high all night, was still glowing green on the battery indicator switch when I was done.
2-cell was strapped to the back of my helmet, & the other light head mounted nicely to the front of my helmet. This one stayed on high about 75% of the ride, only put it down to the medium setting for extended climbing sections.
Battery indicator was red by the time I got finished, but light was still pumping out & did not leave me in the dark, happy about that!
Temps were between 45 - 50, so run times seemed decent even though it was cold.

Overall I am very happy with this setup. First off, they are tiny! Really couldn't notice the extra weight on the helmet. So handy not having wiring from the helmet to a battery in the backpack.

The amount of light that comes out of these is also impressive. Nice beam pattern & no noticeable "hot spots".

I am looking forward to the gen2 lightheads.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

I'm getting a bit ahead of things, but I'm wondering if I should order a 2nd Xera or wait a bit for the Olympia. I was wondering how much the Olympia lightheads weigh, since I would be running with it part of the time and am wondering about bounce? How long will the Olympia run with a 2 cell at full power, and the ~800 lumen level?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

@Lintott,
We loved the video!! Big smiles on our faces.. 

@xcandrew,
For running, I would recommend the Xera because of the smaller size and weight. Also because the reflector would give a better beam pattern for running. If you already have a Xera, you should also be receiving a 2nd Gen.. so you may want to decide after.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I added a allotted and a reflector to my 2nd gen light order. Oh yeah!!!


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## goneskiian (Sep 27, 2004)

Great little light for sure. I'm excited to get my 2nd gen XERA.

My only complaint so far is that the mount isn't secure enough to resist movement when I toggle between settings and I'm using the small O-ring on 31.8 bars. That and the swivel seems a bit loose too and moves quite easily.


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

goneskiian said:


> My only complaint so far is that the mount isn't secure enough to resist movement when I toggle between settings and I'm using the small O-ring on 31.8 bars. That and the swivel seems a bit loose too and moves quite easily.


I press the button with my thumb while bracing the front of the light with my fingers. This way I don't get any motion.

The swivel, I believe, is a screw sandwiching a rubber washer between the mount and the light head. So, you can tighten the screw if you need to.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

If the light moves to easily on the handlebar, you can place a wrap or 2 of friction tape on the bar were it mounts. 
Are you trying to just push on the button without supporting the front of the light? It's a 3 finger operation (or 2 and a thumb) first 2 fingers on the front of the light and push the button with your thumb.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

icycle said:


> ...The swivel, I believe, is a screw sandwiching a rubber washer between the mount and the light head. So, you can tighten the screw if you need to.


The screw has a shoulder so tightening it does not prevent movement but would risk stripping the threads.

I will eventually try a thicker "washer" made of bicycle inner tube, rubber roofing, etc. to attempt to snug up this connection so I don't have to correct the aim every time I change the setting while helmet mounted.

Having the swivel built in is a good feature for bar mounting though.:thumbsup:


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Gemini Lights;8797061
@xcandrew said:


> Actually, I felt for running (trail in my case) with the Xera I was wishing for more flood. Don't get me wrong it works great but with running being so slow compared to riding a bike a bit more flood right in front of me and it would be oustanding and you'd still have plenty of throw. How about a real floody reflector/optic for the Xera Chris?
> 
> Olympia looks pretty small and I'll bet you could do it but Xera size is better. Olympia triple XML for running is downright over kill:eekster:


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

skidad said:


> Actually, I felt for running (trail in my case) with the Xera I was wishing for more flood. Don't get me wrong it works great but with running being so slow compared to riding a bike a bit more flood right in front of me and it would be oustanding and you'd still have plenty of throw. How about a real floody reflector/optic for the Xera Chris?
> 
> Olympia looks pretty small and I'll bet you could do it but Xera size is better. Olympia triple XML for running is downright over kill:eekster:


Did you try running with both the reflector and the optic? Seems like the reflector has a little more peripheral spill than the optic which is more of a very wide spot. I don't have the reflector yet, but was more than happy with the optics for running. All my running with this light has been on trails as well. It sure is quite light. I forgot it was on my head. No bounce or anything.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

stinkyto said:


> Are you suggesting that I flood+spot on the Bars AND a Spot on the lid?


How are you going to run this set-up? Y-cable for the bars? Curious since I have the 2nd light coming and was tossing around the idea of the y-cable for the bars with optic/reflector and order another reflector/light head for the helmet.

Anyone have feedback on this set-up: Y-cable for two Xera's on the bars with the 5200mAh battery? I won't be driving both on high except for fast downhill sections. Maybe just run the optic on the bars on low or med for climbs and slower flats.

Thanks


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

My average after work night ride is only 1.5 hours. I am just going to put in a y and run everything on the bars on high with 1 optic, one reflector and 1600 lumens!!!. 

I should have plenty of juice. If not I will turn them down.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

skidad said:


> Actually, I felt for running (trail in my case) with the Xera I was wishing for more flood. Don't get me wrong it works great but with running being so slow compared to riding a bike a bit more flood right in front of me and it would be oustanding and you'd still have plenty of throw. How about a real floody reflector/optic for the Xera Chris?
> 
> Olympia looks pretty small and I'll bet you could do it but Xera size is better. Olympia triple XML for running is downright over kill:eekster:


Nah, the Olympia probably wouldn't be overkill for running. I need light for navigation on the trails and sometimes off the trails in the woods (night orienteering), not just to see whats in front of my feet. I'm also a fast runner and when I get going, I can keep up with mountain bikers on singletrack. 1500 lumen headlamps like the Swenor Lightning (do a search) are popular for orienteering.

I also ski more than run this time of year.

I have had a Xera with the reflector installed for a week or two now, and it works well for running the way I use it (though my girlfriend took over it right away). When I use it, I tend to aim it up the trail, so the spot lights up the distance and is blending in with the spill pretty well. The pattern is similar to Magicshine 808. My girlfriend likes to aim it a bit in front of her skis - the spill lights the tips of her skis, and the hot spot is a bright dot on the ground not too far in front, unless she looks up. She's happy with it this way, so it doesn't matter what I suggest. Anyway, I wish the spot part was broader, thus the wider 25 degrees of the Olympia was sounding good, though I don't know how much, if any spill there is on that. If needed, I was thinking a more stable headbelt like the Lupine HD would make it good for running.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

88 rex said:


> Did you try running with both the reflector and the optic? Seems like the reflector has a little more peripheral spill than the optic which is more of a very wide spot. I don't have the reflector yet, but was more than happy with the optics for running. All my running with this light has been on trails as well. It sure is quite light. I forgot it was on my head. No bounce or anything.


The reflector has a lot more spill than the optic. I've compared the two and the reflector is better for running because you can aim the spot up the trail, and still have the spill light up the near field in front of your feet. I compared to my modified Princeton Tec Eos (with a McR-18S reflector), and the spill angle is the same, or about 75 to 80 degrees if I remember my old measurements correctly.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

sbd said:


> My average after work night ride is only 1.5 hours. I am just going to put in a y and run everything on the bars on high with 1 optic, one reflector and 1600 lumens!!!.
> 
> I should have plenty of juice. If not I will turn them down.


This is kind of my plan, I ordered two xera's and will have two gen 2's on the way. I will "y" the bars and still have one on the helmet. 2400 Lumens. but I have heard that when you "y" a set of lights your battery output is not halved but rather down to about a 1/3. Like you I have about a 1.5 hr night ride so 1/3 of a 4hours is 1hr20min or so, if this is all true.
In reality for where I ride I will not have it on full boar all the time. turn them down or only use one head lamp for climbing and then open it up for the descent.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

stinkyto said:


> This is kind of my plan, I ordered two xera's and will have two gen 2's on the way. I will "y" the bars and still have one on the helmet. 2400 Lumens. but I have heard that when you "y" a set of lights your battery output is not halved but rather down to about a 1/3. Like you I have about a 1.5 hr night ride so 1/3 of a 4hours is 1hr20min or so, if this is all true.
> In reality for where I ride I will not have it on full boar all the time. turn them down or only use one head lamp for climbing and then open it up for the descent.


I don't think it's that severe. I've run dual magicshine's a lot and it's about half, maybe a little lower.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

To demonstrate the effect of a higher load on a Li-ion battery pack I am running 2 tests on the same 5200mAh pack using a WMR CBA II constant current battery tester.
The Xera draws 1.25A at 7.4V. Less at higher voltage and more at lower voltage but since this is the average for the pack I am testing first at this current, and then at 2.5A. The resulting voltage vs Ah (1Ah = 1000mAh) graphs will show the results. This test will take about 12 hours (with a recharge in the middle) so I'll post the results in the morning.
BTW, that's only 9.25 watts for 800 lumens. That's pretty darn good!


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Look forward to the results action-led-lights. I wish I brought this topic up a long time ago. I preordered the Xera with a 2nd Xera back in september and my intentions were to use a y splitter. Hopefully I have a decent run time. I will find out when I received the two 2nd Xera headlight.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

xcandrew said:


> The reflector has a lot more spill than the optic. I've compared the two and the reflector is better for running because you can aim the spot up the trail, and still have the spill light up the near field in front of your feet. I compared to my modified Princeton Tec Eos (with a McR-18S reflector), and the spill angle is the same, or about 75 to 80 degrees if I remember my old measurements correctly.


\

Ok, good to know. I'm still waiting for my reflector to arrive with the 2nd. gen Xera and I will test it out. No snow here yet in MA to try it out XC skiing or snowshoeing. Chris mentioned the 2nd. gen. is a bit brighter and more efficient so that's a :thumbsup::thumbsup: Lots of the trails I run on are very rocky/rooty so footing is vital. I also own a Spark SD6-500CW spark technology and it's super floody but no throw. Soon they will have a screw on reflector piece to change that. It's been ok running (and hiking) with but I look forward to the refector

I don't do orienteering but have noticed some of those people are into huge lumen head lamps. Olympia sounds ideal with the 25 degree beam and hopefully a throw equal to or greater than the Xera. I have a MS 856 on my bars (1600 lumen _rated_) with a 25 degree beam and it's super bright and floody but not a thrower. Olympia with that Lupine headband sounds like a great combo :idea:. I was really close to pulling the trigger on the Piko but am now happy I held off. No arguing the quality of the Lupine but I now will have 2 Xera's for 1/2 the price (and out perform). My guess is next gen. Piko will be 900-1000 lumens if it can be cooled ok. Right now it's not driven hard at all for a double XML light.

Light wars...gotta love em


----------



## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Well here are the results of the battery load test.










The results are not what I expected. There was no drop off in capacity at these loads so 2.5A is within the easily deliverable amperage of this battery.

5.2Ah/1.25A = 4.16hrs. run time for one light

5.2Ah/2.5A = 2.08hrs. run time for 2 lights

This graph shows a couple of other interesting things. The cutoff for the battery protection circuit is 5.6v. You can see why. It's done at 6V and dropping fast. This also shows why it is important to put at least a little charge back in your pack before storing it. Li-ion packs have a low self-discharge but it doesn't take much to get dangerously low once it reaches 5.6V. At low voltages metal whiskers can start to form in the battery resulting in short circuits that can cause catastrophic results. To protect against such, the circuit disables the pack if to low a voltage is reached. There are similar problems if the battery is charged at to low a temperature (below 30˚F) Better packs have a temperature sensor that won't begin the charge until the pack is above this temp.
The other interesting thing is to test where the color change button switches color. For the Xera I have it changes as below.
Green to yellow - 6.8v (1 light on high)
Yellow to red - 6.6v
Both of these voltages are very close to the end of the discharge. I'll have to test this in real life conditions as my experience riding the light is that I have more warning than what this would indicate.

Jim Harger
Action LED Lights


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

gticlay said:


> I don't think it's that severe. I've run dual magicshine's a lot and it's about half, maybe a little lower.


Not that I've ever run a "Y" cable but I would have to agree that it should only halve the run time. One problem that hasn't been mentioned though is how this > ( running two lights on one battery ) might effect the run-time indicators on the light heads. With the larger amp pulls this would surely make for larger voltage drops within the battery. I can't see it as a major problem though unless the lamps have automatic power down features. Of course once one of the lamps goes into auto-power down mode you can just shut one lamp down and go on from there ( which would be the smart thing to do ).


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Great Posts! Looking at the chart this provides a possible explanation of the unusual characteristics I've experenced trying to run a Y-cable (battery life indicators go to red almost immediately). I'm guessing the voltage drop is fooling the the light heads into thinking the battery is more depleated than it really is. I'd given up on the Y-cable but I think I'll give it another try and just watch for any flashing red lights or signs of overheating. Thanks Jim and Cat!


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

Hey skidad,

After trying the optic again, I think I changed my mind. I like the optic better (at the moment) for running because it takes effort to hold the narrow spot steady with the reflector. The optic has enough residual light to light up the near field in front of my feet for running, though its not as nice as the reflector. However, the smoothness of the beam wins me over. I could change my mind depending on the circumstances, because you can see both farther and wider with the reflector.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

The Gemini website says the 2nd gen XERA was to start shipping on Dec 7th.

Does anyone know if they have shipped or was this just another "wishful thinking" date?


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

I just thought I'd add an update here. I had originally found that the Xera with reflector wasn't really any better than my MS 808. Last night I put the optic back in, and I'm really much happier.

I run the Xera on my helmet, and it's paired to a MS 872 on the bars. The Xera w optic's color matches the color of the 872 much better. I'm also running the 872 on power setting 2/4 so as to not "over-light" the foreground, and that worked well also.

I thought the reflector would offer a better spot for use on my helmet, but in reality the optic has a better color, and smoother pattern. And it works well with my 872. I'm still really looking forward to the Gen 2, especially since I had the cable pull out of the light-head problem. I've put a dab of barge cement on there, but I'm not convinced it's particularly durable.

In summary, the Xera w optic and MS 872 at setting 2/4 is turning out to be a decent combo. 

oh, and conditions last night: a fresh layer of snow (only a dusting) and almost frozen ground. the mud puddles were thick and goopy, not quite frozen, and in some places we were riding up little creeks caus' the water hadn't frozen. it was all on pretty technical, rocky, rooty single track, so the speed wasn't very high. I'm not sure the role the snow played in reflecting/enhancing visibility.... but the sytem worked well there.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

gmcttr said:


> The Gemini website says the 2nd gen XERA was to start shipping on Dec 7th.
> 
> Does anyone know if they have shipped or was this just another "wishful thinking" date?


A riding buddy with the 1st generation just got a shipping confirmation that the 2nd lighthead is on it's way.


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## goneskiian (Sep 27, 2004)

gmcttr said:


> The Gemini website says the 2nd gen XERA was to start shipping on Dec 7th.
> 
> Does anyone know if they have shipped or was this just another "wishful thinking" date?


And I have an email from December 5th saying that if I want to order other stuff to get the free shipping with the Gen 2 I need to place an order by 10pm tonight to have it included.

Hmmmm, what to get.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

slyfink said:


> I just thought I'd add an update here. I had originally found that the Xera with reflector wasn't really any better than my MS 808. Last night I put the optic back in, and I'm really much happier.
> 
> I run the Xera on my helmet, and it's paired to a MS 872 on the bars. The Xera w optic's color matches the color of the 872 much better. I'm also running the 872 on power setting 2/4 so as to not "over-light" the foreground, and that worked well also.
> 
> ...


Have to agree. I'm running the same combo (well, the MS856 which is just the 872 in a different housing) and it's very good. Usually the bar light on setting 2 or 3 and the Xera on 2 most of the time. With this combo I'm lighting up the trail for the guy in front of me as well.

Still, can't wait to see what the Olympia will offer for beam power/spread and throw.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

gmcttr said:


> The Gemini website says the 2nd gen XERA was to start shipping on Dec 7th.
> 
> Does anyone know if they have shipped or was this just another "wishful thinking" date?


 Confirmed, my 2nd Gen's shipped this morning.


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

I got a email that mine had been shipped as well :thumbsup:


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Anyone else getting emails for 2nd gen? I wonder what's the order or how much is getting shipped out. No email for me my original purchase date was Sept 20th.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

anekin007 said:


> Anyone else getting emails for 2nd gen? I wonder what's the order or how much is getting shipped out. No email for me my original purchase date was Sept 20th.


Received an email last Monday that stated they were getting ready to ship. My order on their site states it shipped out on 12/10 yet no shipping notification received yet.

I added another head lamp, reflector & battery to my order. Looking forward to dual Xera bar set-up (reflector/optic) with another Xera w/reflector on the helmet. :thumbsup:


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## brianjt (Feb 20, 2011)

anekin007 said:


> Anyone else getting emails for 2nd gen? I wonder what's the order or how much is getting shipped out. No email for me my original purchase date was Sept 20th.


Just got an email from DHL shipping prealert, so I imagine my xera 2nd gen should be shipping soon.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Yup, mine shipped today (12th) also :yesnod:


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## Panda88 (Nov 11, 2011)

Just received my xera 2 today - looks more powerful than xera 1 
Christian


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Mine Left Hong Kong today(yesterday? damn time/date line) looking forward to it. I have to say to all those who are reading and wondering if this may or may not be a choice light for you... you could do little wrong to order one.
1st the company sent new light heads to all of those who order the original, why? because you could not adjust the brightness levels other then the factory presets of high, med and low. ok sure it was an advertised feature, how many will really use it? I like the factory presets, but I am sure I will love the free light heads even more. (2 on the bars one on the helmet)
2nd in Addition to the free light heads, Chris from Gemini tells us if we want to order anything else shipping is on them.
3rd. So far it is a good little light. I really don't know how good in terms of durability, I have only have it a month or so. If durability doesn't become a negative factor, I really don't know what the possible drawbacks cold be from ordering a light from Gemini.

So far Gemini seem to be setting the bar in terms of affordability and customer service. Something that I have found lacking in other companies offerings when looking to buy a light. Don't get me wrong I have seen expensive and customer service but so far Gemini is working to be successful in the long wrong. I guess time will tell.


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

Mine showed up this afternoon 

I'll be on trail tomorrow night testing them out :thumbsup:


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Rode with my Gen 1 today. As awesome as it was, I want an Olympia!!


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

Anyone having a problem getting Chris to respond to emails? I've sent him a couple about my Gen 2 light head and the reflector I have him shipping with it but I can't get a response. He originally told me the shipment would be delivered Mon or Tues but it hasn't shown and I have yet to get a DHL shipment notification. I've requested the DHL tracking number last week but can't get a response. I'm not trying to flame Chris/Gemini because they seem to be really customer focused and doing a good job. However I see others are getting their Gen 2 light heads as promised plus I've already been charged for the additional item that is supposed to be coming with it. Something just doesn't seem right. I'm hoping it's just an oversight.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that its a tiny company and he is prioritizing his efforts on actually shipping things, instead of answering questions about shipping.


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

sbd said:


> I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that its a tiny company and he is prioritizing his efforts on actually shipping things, instead of answering questions about shipping.


Well that's kind of the point. He said I was supposed to get it Mon or Tues and I haven't nor have I gotten a shipping notification. The issue isn't that I want to get the light now, I want to make sure it ships when I'm available so that DHL doesn't send it back if no one is here to receive it. I'm trying to save them the cost and hassle of shipping it twice.


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## Panda88 (Nov 11, 2011)

I am having similar issues. I did receive the new Xera but part of my add on order that was billed was not in the package. I have tried to contact Chris but no reply so far. I am sure it will get resolved but it feels a little strange not getting feedback when something is missing as part of the shipment

Christian



jhymel said:


> Anyone having a problem getting Chris to respond to emails? I've sent him a couple about my Gen 2 light head and the reflector I have him shipping with it but I can't get a response. He originally told me the shipment would be delivered Mon or Tues but it hasn't shown and I have yet to get a DHL shipment notification. I've requested the DHL tracking number last week but can't get a response. I'm not trying to flame Chris/Gemini because they seem to be really customer focused and doing a good job. However I see others are getting their Gen 2 light heads as promised plus I've already been charged for the additional item that is supposed to be coming with it. Something just doesn't seem right. I'm hoping it's just an oversight.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

jhymel said:


> Anyone having a problem getting Chris to respond to emails? I've sent him a couple about my Gen 2 light head and the reflector I have him shipping with it but I can't get a response. I've requested the DHL tracking number last week but can't get a response. However I see others are getting their Gen 2 light heads as promised plus I've already been charged for the additional item that is supposed to be coming with it. Something just doesn't seem right. I'm hoping it's just an oversight.


Same situation here. Sent two emails and no word back. Website states shipped on 12/10 and have yet to receive a shipping notification or any email response back regarding order status. Added another battery, light head & reflector to my order and would like to know the status. Not too much to ask since order status on the website does not provide any details.

We all understand they are busy but to not even reply to emails for days from customers who are buying more products? Seems to have gone ghost and it does not look good from a customer satisfaction stand point...


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

Holy sh$t guys, just relax. People need to take vacation now and then right? I'm sure when he gets back he'll take care of your "needs".


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

I'll stand up for Chris here. He is traveling this week setting the stage for more great things to come so E-mail time has probably been very limited. 
At the factory they are indeed working very hard to catch up with orders now that the tap is open and Xera's are shipping out. (our first stocking order should be here any day) Add to that DHL's Que time and shipping is not always as fast as we would like it.
I think you can be confident that if any mistakes are made they will make it up to you as they have in a more than generous way with the gen1/gen2 lights.


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## bledsoe32 (Dec 30, 2010)

If Chris hasn't gotten back to you, I'm sure there is a good reason. I placed an order about 10 days ago and he answered my email about crediting the shipping cost within minutes and it was credited back to my Paypal account in an hour. My gen 2 light is on its way, I'll know then if those parts got included with my gen 2 light. He seems very responsive, but I have a feeling he has to wear several hats and so I would cut him a little slack if there is delay in response.


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## stinkyto (Feb 17, 2010)

Panda88 said:


> I am having similar issues. I did receive the new Xera but part of my add on order that was billed was not in the package. I have tried to contact Chris but no reply so far. I am sure it will get resolved but it feels a little strange not getting feedback when something is missing as part of the shipment
> 
> Christian


I received an email from chris last night. He apologized for the lateness of his response but I believe it is a case of being very busy at this moment in time with the XERA replacements and the Olympia development.
In his email he stated that my Gen 2 where shipped earlier then my add on and where shipped by Air mail, my add was sent as a seperate package and by DHL.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

After a couple of days waiting, I got a reply to my e-mail today stating mine was shipped Monday with my add on and reflector that was left out of my original order. There wasn't any tracking info though so I hope it doesn't require a signature.

You can call it "great customer service" if you want, but it's become a drawn out pain in the butt in my opinion.


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

Action LED Lights said:


> I'll stand up for Chris here. He is traveling this week setting the stage for more great things to come so E-mail time has probably been very limited.
> At the factory they are indeed working very hard to catch up with orders now that the tap is open and Xera's are shipping out. (our first stocking order should be here any day) Add to that DHL's Que time and shipping is not always as fast as we would like it.
> I think you can be confident that if any mistakes are made they will make it up to you as they have in a more than generous way with the gen1/gen2 lights.


@Action
Thanks for the info. I was figuring and hoping it was something like this due to the service and customer focus they have been providing.

For you others that are sparking up your flamethrower, relax. I'm not complaining about Chris. This was a simple question to get an idea if it was just an oversight or if something else was going on. I'm actually trying to help Chris avoid double shipping charges especially since he is so gracefully is covering them for us.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

Apparently we are not allowed to voice a few concerns or a bit of frustration on the Gemini thread over not receiving notifications, accurate order status on website or email responses... Seriously? 

Jim, thank you for the update on Chris as well. At least we now know to sit tight for a bit longer...


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

It's a bike light. Everyone needs to simmer down.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

sbd said:


> It's a bike light. Everyone needs to simmer down.


It's our hard earned $$$ that was paid out 1.5-2+ months ago for a product that we are finally hoping to receive.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Everyone just has to be patient and understanding. It takes time for a person to check orders, box them up, and ship them out. Item would be ship out as units are completed and ready for shipment. Not all 100 orders would go out in one day. I just got a tracking number for my order. Mine was shipped today via HK post and tracking numbers show left HK for destination. From past HK postal experience I usually get my item within 7-10 days. DHL can be costly and Gemini is taking a big loss of all the free shipping and free headlight units.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

I'm back and alive now..

I have been MIA for a little while because as Jim mentioned, I was travelling to Canada.

We do encourage all feedback on here. I should have answered all your emails by now. If you haven't received a response yet, then I may have missed your message. Please get in touch and I will help answer your questions.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Gemini Lights said:


> I'm back and alive now..
> 
> I have been MIA for a little while because as Jim mentioned, I was travelling to Canada.
> 
> We do encourage all feedback on here. I should have answered all your emails by now. If you haven't received a response yet, then I may have missed your message. Please get in touch and I will help answer your questions.


Well, if you were in the Vancouver area and didn't call me to take you riding... you missed out!


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

No complaint here...my light package shipped on the 12th and arrived in MA on the 14th :yesnod: How is that even possible or the cost involved I'm not sure  Pretty amazing IMO.

Of course I wasn't here to sign for the package  so it's 1 more day


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

Gemini Lights said:


> I'm back and alive now..
> 
> I have been MIA for a little while because as Jim mentioned, I was travelling to Canada.
> 
> We do encourage all feedback on here. I should have answered all your emails by now. If you haven't received a response yet, then I may have missed your message. Please get in touch and I will help answer your questions.


Chris reached out to me yesterday and everything is good. Again thanks for all you have been doing for us.


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## Todd_F (Feb 7, 2004)

I got mine today, shipped with the extras I ordered in the same package. Thanks again to Gemini Lights!


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Xera's available for immediate shipment. :thumbsup:


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## Panda88 (Nov 11, 2011)

jhymel said:


> Chris reached out to me yesterday and everything is good. Again thanks for all you have been doing for us.


Same here - should receive missing items monday
Christian


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## brianjt (Feb 20, 2011)

Got mine today. The 2nd generation is definitely brighter. Also I tried out the reflector lens, the beam has a nice center hot spot to throw the light further. Really glad I added the reflector to the order.


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## XecconLight (Dec 16, 2011)

Yes,
I am regretful to join in the forums so late. Nice thread here


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## ricardo12 (May 10, 2008)

Shipped on the 13th, received on the 15th. Granted Taiwan is almost a full day ahead that's still pretty darn fast. In the package was the 2nd generation Xera (as promised), a reflector, extra battery and extra silicon rings. 

Keep up the good work, Gemini Lights!


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

Random thoughts on batteries. I was tempted to buy a 4 cell (I have 2 2 cell batteries), but after thinking about it a little more. I think I might buy another 2 cell. Here's why. My goal is to run 3 lights, 2 on the bars and one on the helmet. Originally I was thinking of getting a 4 cell and a splitter for the two lights on the bars. On high that would give me roughly 2 hours or run time. OR I could save a few bucks on the splitter and a cheaper 2 cell and just run two batteries on the stem. I'd still have 2 hours on high. If I decided to run one light on the bars instead of two, I'd just bring along the extra battery and still have 4 hours of run time on high. 

That's all. I'm still enjoying my lights and I've got no complaints. I did cut off the helmet mount light head velcro and used the stretchy battery mount velcro for the helmet mount. I had two so no biggie. It's so much better now.


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## thatdrewguy (Jul 28, 2009)

confused... are these lights (xera) also available from action led lights and/or geoman in the U.S.?


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

thatdrewguy said:


> confused... are these lights (xera) also available from action led lights and/or geoman in the U.S.?


Action led lights have them in stock with shipping as low as about $5. Direct from Gemini is now $19.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

thatdrewguy said:


> confused... are these lights (xera) also available from action led lights and/or geoman in the U.S.?


They are currently available from Action LED Lights and Gemini.

I think it was posted earlier in this thread that Geoman was looking at carrying them in the future.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Still time to get one for Christmas.


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## thatdrewguy (Jul 28, 2009)

gmcttr said:


> They are currently available from Action LED Lights and Gemini.


I had googled on action led lights and it brought up 3 sites (amazon/ebay/actionlighting.com and none of the 3 has the xera listed. I see now where I went wrong, I should have just looked for the link under Action LED's profile. :thumbsup:


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

thatdrewguy said:


> I had googled on action led lights and it brought up 3 sites (amazon/ebay/actionlighting.com and none of the 3 has the xera listed. I see now where I went wrong, I should have just looked for the link under Action LED's profile. :thumbsup:


for some reason when typed "action led lights" it doesnt show up the main site until the 2nd page of the google search. Even with the "action-led-lights" its on the 1st page but not until the 7th link.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

thatdrewguy said:


> I had googled on action led lights and it brought up 3 sites...


I see what you mean. I googled them and the link I wanted was at the bottom of the list. He must not have paid the right people yet.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Try this - Action LED Lights
I'm slowly moving up in the Google ranking but it takes awhile.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Action LED Lights said:


> Try this - Action LED Lights
> I'm slowly moving up in the Google ranking but it takes awhile.


Put that link in your signature so people can easily go to your site when they see your comments.


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

anekin007 said:


> Put that link in your signature so people can easily go to your site when they see your comments.


Ditto


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Woah nice price on the closeout P7 titan's !


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

anekin007 said:


> Put that link in your signature so people can easily go to your site when they see your comments.


Thanks for the tip.


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## fullxtr83 (Jul 16, 2010)

Shark said:


> Woah nice price on the closeout P7 titan's !


Definitely a great deal. I bought one with the flood lense for the bars and couldn't be happier.


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## Circlip (Mar 29, 2004)

Just received my gen 2 lighthead plus reflector today here in Vancouver, B.C. I will be taking it out for first use tomorrow. Thanks Chris and Gemini!


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Just recieved mine as well here in Squamish BC Canada. Thanx Chris!!! Definatly a little brighter than Gen1, also seems to have a different color rendition as i'm finding Gen 2 to have a more neutral white than Gen1. Don't know if it's a different bin Xm-L or the optics,but i like it!!:thumbsup:


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Still waiting...Hong Kong Post must use the proverbial "slow boat from China" for their carrier.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

gmcttr said:


> Still waiting...Hong Kong Post must use the proverbial "slow boat from China" for there carrier.


Same here... Additional light head & battery ordered 12/6, Chris sent out 12/12 yet according to tracking sorted through HK sort facility 12/17...

Not sure how all these others are reporting such quick receive times. Guess theirs weren't sent via pigeon postal...


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

Mine "free" Gen 2 went out on 12/15 and late last night the USPS site shows it hitting my local office. Guess i will get it sometime today if I'm lucky. Good things come to those who wait, LOL.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

My gen 2 is also sitting in sorting.


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## bledsoe32 (Dec 30, 2010)

I received my replacement gen 2 light along with the other items I ordered, including the reflector. However, the lens for the reflector was shattered. Sent an email and got a response quickly that a replacement would be sent immediatly. No hasseles on the warranty side. Thanks Chris/Gemini.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

We just received our first shipment of 2nd Generation Xera's, we are combining them with the GeoManGear 4.5Ah and 6.0Ah battery packs for extra long runtime. We tested the prototypes and 1st Gen lightheads and are really impressed with the 2nd Gen. Nice work Chris :thumbsup:

Gemini XERA LED Light System - 4.5Ah [GM Xera 4.5] - $159.95 : GeoMan Gear, The best products, the best prices, & Lightnin Fast service!



thatdrewguy said:


> confused... are these lights (xera) also available from action led lights and/or geoman in the U.S.?


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

GEOMAN said:


> We just received our first shipment of 2nd Generation Xera's, we are combining them with the GeoManGear 4.5Ah and 6.0Ah battery packs for extra long runtime. ]


So, you can't get the 2 cell battery from GeoMan?


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Currently we only stock the USA built 4 cell 4.5Ah and 6.0Ah battery packs



wrench177 said:


> So, you can't get the 2 cell battery from GeoMan?


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

GEOMAN said:


> Currently we only stock the USA built 4 cell 4.5Ah and 6.0Ah battery packs


I completely understand your desire to stay away from the Chinese battery packs. That being said, I think there is a market for your USA built packs in a 2-cell 2600-2800mah configuration. It's great to be able to set the light AND battery pack on the helmet and not even notice the weight.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Agreed, Panasonic is working on a 3400mAh cell, we could build a 3.4Ah 2 cell pack which would be awesome when combined with a single XM-L lighthead



TwoHeadsBrewing said:


> I completely understand your desire to stay away from the Chinese battery packs. That being said, I think there is a market for your USA built packs in a 2-cell 2600-2800mah configuration. It's great to be able to set the light AND battery pack on the helmet and not even notice the weight.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

GEOMAN said:


> We just received our first shipment of 2nd Generation Xera's, we are combining them with the GeoManGear 4.5Ah and 6.0Ah battery packs for extra long runtime. We tested the prototypes and 1st Gen lightheads and are really impressed with the 2nd Gen. Nice work Chris :thumbsup:
> 
> Gemini XERA LED Light System - 4.5Ah [GM Xera 4.5] - $159.95 : GeoMan Gear, The best products, the best prices, & Lightnin Fast service!


*
SWEET:thumbsup::thumbsup: Geoman do you plan on selling the lighthead only for us guys that have way to many batteries? *


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

*
Action led when are you going to buy a ad and support this website rather than spamming. answering ? about products is one thing but trying to snake business from a longtime paying advertiser and website supporter doesn't cut it. .*


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Rakuman said:


> *
> Action led when are you going to buy a ad and support this website rather than spamming. answering ? about products is one thing but trying to snake business from a longtime paying advertiser and website supporter doesn't cut it. .*


I did start buying advertising as soon as I started posting. It's mostly in the light shootout section. 
As far as long time, I got started in bike lights about the same time Jay, the original Geoman did. Just haven't had the time to take part in this forum. I've been carrying MS's since they came out and the same for Gemini. There's room for more than one vendor in the bike light world. Consider it friendly competition.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

Action LED Lights said:


> I did start buying advertising as soon as I started posting. It's mostly in the light shootout section.
> As far as long time, I got started in bike lights about the same time Jay, the original Geoman did. Just haven't had the time to take part in this forum. I've been carrying MS's since they came out and the same for Gemini. There's room for more than one vendor in the bike light world. Consider it friendly competition.


*Sorry didn't know you had a ad my bad got no problems with you competing as long as you are supporting the website*


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

jhymel said:


> Mine "free" Gen 2 went out on 12/15 and late last night the USPS site shows it hitting my local office. Guess i will get it sometime today if I'm lucky. Good things come to those who wait, LOL.


Got the light head and the reflector in today. You rock Chris!!!!

One question I do have is that reflector doesn't sit flush with the body of the light like the optic does. This either 1) doesn't allow the lens cap to screw on all the way or 2) puts extra pressure on the lens and led. Did I miss something in the way this needs to get assembled?

Thanks.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

jhymel said:


> One question I do have is that reflector doesn't sit flush with the body of the light like the optic does. This either 1) doesn't allow the lens cap to screw on all the way or 2) puts extra pressure on the lens and led.


The reflector and glass lens is a very snug fit, but the cap should be able to screw on all the way. You could check that cone above the LED is screwed tightly. Use a small pen or screw driver and twist it clockwise.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Mine finally broke free from "sorting". Can't wait to get my Gen 2!


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Hi Rakuman, we just went live with the Xera Lighthead Only listing:thumbsup:

Gemini XERA LED Lighthead [GM Xera LH] - $79.95 : GeoMan Gear, The best products, the best prices, & Lightnin Fast service!

Cheers
GeoMan



Rakuman said:


> *
> SWEET:thumbsup::thumbsup: Geoman do you plan on selling the lighthead only for us guys that have way to many batteries? *


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Rakuman said:


> *Sorry didn't know you had a ad my bad got no problems with you competing as long as you are supporting the website*


We also have some new banner ads on the light shootout pages. Check them out and tell us what you think! If you think they are ugly, you are also entitled to your opinion. :thumbsup:

We are also hoping the XERA will get reviewed by Francis soon. Currently our focus is on the Olympia's launch. It is in it's final stages of testing and some necessary fine tuning will be made.

GeoManGear and Action LED Lights are officially carrying the new XERAs and we will be providing a tight support channel to both our USA dealers and individual customers alike.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

For those with 2 lights and an optic and reflector, are you running the reflector on the helmet and optic on the bars? I just got mine so I only have the backyard test, BUT the reflector has a ton of spill so I was thinking it might actually make a good bar light. The optic is like a super wide spot but with extremely minimal spill so I'm thinking it might make a better helmet light. I think the optic will definitely make a better road light though. Thoughts??


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## jhymel (May 27, 2009)

Gemini Lights said:


> The reflector and glass lens is a very snug fit, but the cap should be able to screw on all the way. You could check that cone above the LED is screwed tightly. Use a small pen or screw driver and twist it clockwise.


Thanks for the info. I'll check it out when I get back from vacation.


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## brianjt (Feb 20, 2011)

jhymel said:


> Got the light head and the reflector in today. You rock Chris!!!!
> 
> One question I do have is that reflector doesn't sit flush with the body of the light like the optic does. This either 1) doesn't allow the lens cap to screw on all the way or 2) puts extra pressure on the lens and led. Did I miss something in the way this needs to get assembled?
> 
> Thanks.


Just another thing to check, as I had a similar issue with mine. I realized I had 2 lenses stuck together. So with thumb on on face of the lens and for finger on the other I slid them apart. Using one cap screwed on nicely. Now I have a spare.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I got my reflector and y cable yesterday, but no Gen2 light head. Are they coming seperately? I also had 2 lens stuck together.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

My gen 2 light heads came this morning, brighter and the settings seem to be more reliable. Thanks Chris and team!


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Got my Gen 2 light head, reflector w/2 lens and Gen 2 circuit board (to fix my flakey Gen 1 light) this morning.

Since the USPS tracking didn't even show it being in the country yet, I was not waiting by the door and got there in time to see the mailman drive away with my package. I caught up to him about 3 miles away and got it. I hate USPS tracking!


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

88 rex said:


> For those with 2 lights and an optic and reflector, are you running the reflector on the helmet and optic on the bars? I just got mine so I only have the backyard test, BUT the reflector has a ton of spill so I was thinking it might actually make a good bar light. The optic is like a super wide spot but with extremely minimal spill so I'm thinking it might make a better helmet light. I think the optic will definitely make a better road light though. Thoughts??


I think the optic is maybe the most perfect mix of spot and spill I've ever seen in a light. I can't imagine wanting that much light any spottier.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

88 rex said:


> For those with 2 lights and an optic and reflector, are you running the reflector on the helmet and optic on the bars? I just got mine so I only have the backyard test, BUT the reflector has a ton of spill so I was thinking it might actually make a good bar light. The optic is like a super wide spot but with extremely minimal spill so I'm thinking it might make a better helmet light. I think the optic will definitely make a better road light though. Thoughts??


Reflector on the helmet, nice having the ability to pin point the tight throw it has down the trail further when needed, especially at speed. Just my $.02.

Will eventually be running both an optic & reflector on the bars with a reflector on the helmet once I finally get my shipment. Think that will be a nice set-up.


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## khskenny (Sep 29, 2009)

I received my gen 2 a few days ago. Great follow through on service.

The improvements are fantastic. The light head now reliably switches through the modes. My gen 1 would sometimes do nothing when you heard a click from the button or it would randomly goto flash mode. The gen 2 also includes a soft transition between on off and all the brightness levels. That small touch makes this little unit look pretty pro. The programability is nice, but I'm happy with the defaults. I love not having to go through the flash mode in order to turn the unit off.

Great fixes!


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## Fred Smedley (Feb 28, 2006)

Action LED Lights said:


> Still time to get one for Christmas.


Thanks for the lighting fast shipping on my new titan! Wife grabbed it and wrapped it so waiting to check it out.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Received my 2 2nd gen Xera and 1 reflector. Did a quick test to see if it's functional. So far so good. Only difference I notice is the button. The 1st gen with one finger I just lightly tap the button and it switches but the 2nd gen I have it give it a good push and using more then one finger holding the front of the light. The 2nd gen button seems more flushed in. I prefer the button on my 1st gen.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Got my 2nd gen today. Woohoo


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## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

Glad to see that geomangear is now selling these. I would like to see a 2 cell battery too.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

MaximusHQ said:


> Glad to see that geomangear is now selling these. I would like to see a 2 cell battery too.


The gemini hard case batteries are nice and come in 2 cell


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Shark said:


> The gemini hard case batteries are nice and come in 2 cell


2nd that. I've got 2 of these now and they are small lightweight and easily straped to the helmet. Spare either goes into the Camelbak or for one of my kids to use with my second lighthead.

Action-LED-Lights has the Gemini 2 cell for $60

Action-LED-Lights - Gemini 2600mAh Hardshell Battery Pack


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

What's better than a Xera? Two Xeras! First ride last night with Gen 1 optics and Gen 2 reflector. Both on the bars. Nirvana. Thanks again Gemini for the great service and great product.


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## Circlip (Mar 29, 2004)

sbd said:


> What's better than a Xera?


Olympia on the bars backed up by a g2 Xera on the helmet! Well, here's hoping at least. :thumbsup:


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

Gemini Lights said:


> The reflector and glass lens is a very snug fit, but the cap should be able to screw on all the way. You could check that cone above the LED is screwed tightly. Use a small pen or screw driver and twist it clockwise.


Experiencing the same issue. Was able to screw the cone above the led about 1/4 turn yet still there is no way to screw the cap on with both of the lens. Unlike my 1st gen with reflector. Seems as though the hole that goes around the led is too small causing it to not sit flush or as flush as the 1st gen. Running it with one glass lens to compensate.

Other than that I like the new changes to my new gen 2's. Soft change between brightness levels and no cycling through flash to turn off.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

Aspec said:


> Running it with one glass lens to compensate.


Why would you run it with two glass lenses in the first place? I assumed the 2nd was backup in case you break one.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

xcandrew said:


> Why would you run it with two glass lenses in the first place? I assumed the 2nd was backup in case you break one.


On my 1st gen running a single lens seemed a bit loose since the reflector sits flush with the light head vs. 2nd gen. Plus when looking at the optic, below the ridge where the o-ring sits the thickness looks to be the same thickness as the two lenses when stacked. Seemed to have fit a bit tighter on the 1st gen when ran with both lenses.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

I have two 2nd gen and one 1st gen Xera. I have no issues with the reflector. I only use one lens as im guessing the 2nd is a backup. Make sure you transfer over the o-ring from the optics to the reflector lens as it is a sealant from water. When placing the reflector on there is some slight play but once the lens and cap are on place it is perfectly sealed. Everything screws in and fits in perfect on all 3 lights.

On another note. I found that both my 2nd Xera has some led damage. One has a tiny scratch and one has a burn mark. I just emailed Chris. 

My current setup is two 2nd gen Xera with optics split with a y cable on the 4 cell Gemini battery. One 1st gen Xera with reflector on a old 2 cell magicshine battery.


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## rml_7 (Mar 22, 2007)

*Flush Mount*

Been having great luck with my lights, anyone mount one flush yet? Or use a different mount than the O ring? Not sure I need a better way, just looking for options.


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## knobbies (Sep 10, 2011)

*Bright, White and Lite*

I used the 2G last night. I have 1 on the helmet and 1 on the bar. These are my first lights so I have no reference. But the lights work really great. The trail is a tight wooded single track in Minneapolis (Theodore Wirth). I ran both lights on stock medium (we were out for about 90 minutes and the indicators remained green). The Xera(s) really lit up the trail for me. I rode the trail at only 20 seconds over my personal best (18:50). That's a lot of light. I bought the 1G and received the 2G as replacement. I purchased two more batteries, and passed the 1Gs to my wife. They worked great for her too. When we got to driving home, we thought there was something wrong with the truck's headlight. They were dim and yellow. We realized our eyes were adjusted to the bright white Xera. Then when I was showing my wife how to charge the batteries, *she was surprised that I had put a battery on the back of her helmet!* The Xera is bright , white and lite.
Awesome product Gemini!


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

I received my two generation 2 Xera recently. I have been using the gen 1 as a commuter light and I found them to be very nice lights. The only thing I notice is that the glare from the optic lens does have a lot of glare from it but do they do make great to be seen light.

I played around with my gen 2 light and I love the way they can be program. The best use of this feature is the ability to adjust the intensity in the strobe mode. Now I can use the strobe at night without to be stuck in full intensity.

I was able to hack a standard helmet mount and came up with a way to mount two of the Xera on my helmet and still able to keep it in a low profile. For those interested in two Xera helmet setup, you can see the picture here. Here is a different angle  view.

Thumbs up to Gemini for a nice light.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

colleen c said:


> ...I was able to hack a standard helmet mount and came up with a way to mount two of the Xera on my helmet and still able to keep it in a low profile.....


That's a sweet way to mount two XERAs.:thumbsup:


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

I love my Xera, but here's my options wish list for the Xera:

Action LED wide lens... I seem to remember that this was coming at some point, but I can't find the reference. Is this being developed?

Wider angle optic for single light headstrap use- maybe 22 degrees.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

xcandrew said:


> I love my Xera, but here's my options wish list for the Xera:
> 
> Action LED wide lens... I seem to remember that this was coming at some point, but I can't find the reference. Is this being developed?
> 
> Wider angle optic for single light headstrap use- maybe 22 degrees.


While I'm still getting by with my MS lightheads, duel Xeras (with the Action wide angle lens) has been an option I've considered for my bar set-up. I'm quite sure you could get any optical center to modify the MS/Titan Action lens to fit a Xera. Waiting for Action to produce a Xera specific lens would be safer (No guarantees on how the lens would work with the Xera lighthead) and less expensive (I'm sure it would cost more to modify the lens than its purchase price) but if you like to experiment its an option you could investigate.

Also I have a question for all the Xera gen 1/ gen 2 owners. I've seen a couple of posts saying the gen 2 lighthead is brighter than the gen 1 and I'm wondering whether this is the general opinion and how noticable the difference is?


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

MRMOLE said:


> ...I've seen a couple of posts saying the gen 2 lighthead is brighter than the gen 1 and I'm wondering whether this is the general opinion and how noticable the difference is?


I didn't see much difference between the two. May just be my "old" eyes.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

xcandrew said:


> I love my Xera, but here's my options wish list for the Xera:
> 
> Action LED wide lens... I seem to remember that this was coming at some point, but I can't find the reference. Is this being developed?
> 
> Wider angle optic for single light headstrap use- maybe 22 degrees.


I'm going to talk to the mold shop next week. I took one of the current lenses and ground it down to fit (with the reflector) and it worked quite well. There is no way to mount it with the stock lens.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

Action LED Lights said:


> I'm going to talk to the mold shop next week. I took one of the current lenses and ground it down to fit (with the reflector) and it worked quite well. There is no way to mount it with the stock lens.


Count me in in for an extra wide Xera lens/optic/reflector should it become available. Would be ideal for trail running and just another great option to have for this little gem.


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Here are the images of the two 2nd gen Xera with damage leds. I noticed them when I first open the lights to make sure if the reflector fitted. Sorry for the poor picture its difficult to get a close up. it was taken with my iphone and cropped. My first email Chris responded within 6 hours and I replied with pictures that he asked for within 6 hours. That happened on Dec 28th. Im still waiting for a reply but I know its the holidays and probably busy. My suggestion for Chris to set up an auto away message when out of vacation or away from the office. There were recent post that no one got a reply from him because he was on vacation in Canada.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

MRMOLE said:


> Also I have a question for all the Xera gen 1/ gen 2 owners. I've seen a couple of posts saying the gen 2 lighthead is brighter than the gen 1 and I'm wondering whether this is the general opinion and how noticable the difference is?


On high, my Gen 2 and Gen 1 seem to be about equal. On low my Gen 1 is quite a bit brighter than the default low (20%?) on the Gen 2, and on medium, my Gen 1 might still be a bit brighter than my Gen 2 default medium (60%?).

The light from my Gen 1 is whiter than my Gen 2, which is a bit more purple, so there is some LED variability/luck of the draw.


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## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

anekin007 said:


> Here are the images of the two 2nd gen Xera with damage leds.


How are the beams? I just looked at my 2nd gen Xera, and there are 2 small whiteish blemishes/imperfections on the gel dome that I can't remove with a microfiber cloth. The beam doesn't seem affected at all.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

anekin007 said:


> Here are the images of the two 2nd gen Xera with damage leds. I noticed them when I first open the lights to make sure if the reflector fitted. Sorry for the poor picture its difficult to get a close up. it was taken with my iphone and cropped. My first email Chris responded within 6 hours and I replied with pictures that he asked for within 6 hours. That happened on Dec 28th. Im still waiting for a reply but I know its the holidays and probably busy. My suggestion for Chris to set up an auto away message when out of vacation or away from the office. There were recent post that no one got a reply from him because he was on vacation in Canada.


*Rubbing alcohol and a qtip will get most of the burnt stuff off I had this happen with a 808e that I got something on it and it burnt, the rest of the residue will burn off eventually. and the scratch will not affect the light I have scratched led domes with zero effect *


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

anekin007 said:


> Here are the images of the two 2nd gen Xera with damage leds. I noticed them when I first open the lights to make sure if the reflector fitted. Sorry for the poor picture its difficult to get a close up. it was taken with my iphone and cropped. My first email Chris responded within 6 hours and I replied with pictures that he asked for within 6 hours. That happened on Dec 28th. Im still waiting for a reply but I know its the holidays and probably busy. My suggestion for Chris to set up an auto away message when out of vacation or away from the office. There were recent post that no one got a reply from him because he was on vacation in Canada.


Action LED Lights is a service center for Gemini Lights. You can try cleaning it off but if that doesn't work contact me and we can replace it for you.

Jim Harger


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## knobbies (Sep 10, 2011)

*Two Up Hack*



colleen c said:


> I was able to hack a standard helmet mount and came up with a way to mount two of the Xera on my helmet and still able to keep it in a low profile.


My Two Up Hack.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

What runtime are you guys getting with a single XERA and a geoman pack on full the whole time?


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Rakuman said:


> *Rubbing alcohol and a qtip will get most of the burnt stuff off I had this happen with a 808e that I got something on it and it burnt, the rest of the residue will burn off eventually. and the scratch will not affect the light I have scratched led domes with zero effect *


I will wait to hear from Chris. I dont want to do anything that would affect my warranty. As for the scratch I know it wouldnt affect the performance but later down the road if I want to sell my Xera to upgrade I know the buyers would not like to see a scratch on the led and the value would be lower. If it was a scratch on a cheap torchlight I wouldnt care but light system is a big investment to me as the Xera alone cost more than what my bike cost.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

anekin007 said:


> I will wait to hear from Chris. I dont want to do anything that would affect my warranty. As for the scratch I know it wouldnt affect the performance but later down the road if I want to sell my Xera to upgrade I know the buyers would not like to see a scratch on the led and the value would be lower. If it was a scratch on a cheap torchlight I wouldnt care but light system is a big investment to me as the Xera alone cost more than what my bike cost.


anekin007, As I have said, we are authorized by Gemini (Chris) to provide warranty service in the US. I have seen this issue in a couple of Cree LED's. I am authorizing you to try cleaning it off if you like but if that doesn't work, or you don't care to try. Contact me for an RMA and we'll get you taken care of.

Jim Harger


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## black_box (Feb 15, 2010)

My primary use would be a solo light for sidestreets, not sure on bar or helmet mount. Singletrack trail would only be a few times a year. The optional Xera reflector provides more spill, is this what I'd want? Or would a wide-angle lens (when available) be better? 

The geoman battery is 4 cells only right? Does that mount ok on a helmet or does it need a pocket to stow in?


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

black_box said:


> My primary use would be a solo light for sidestreets, not sure on bar or helmet mount. Singletrack trail would only be a few times a year. The optional Xera reflector provides more spill, is this what I'd want? Or would a wide-angle lens (when available) be better?
> 
> The geoman battery is 4 cells only right? Does that mount ok on a helmet or does it need a pocket to stow in?


I think you would want the stock optic for any sort of street riding.


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## Chromagftw (Feb 12, 2009)

@ *knobbies*

Thanks for sharing mate. Sometimes the of simplest ideas are the ones most often overlooked.


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## thetoque (Mar 6, 2008)

Nicely done! I am so copying that! Big rep to knobbie!


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

I've got about 15 rides on mine, flawless so far!


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## agoura_biker (Jun 6, 2004)

Gemini Lights said:


> Currently our focus is on the Olympia's launch. It is in it's final stages of testing and some necessary fine tuning will be made


Got any more details about the Olympia? I've searched your website but besides some oblique references I remember, I haven't been able to find any details! Basic specs, maybe some prototype photos, expected delivery dates??? I just ordered a Xera and wondering about its sibling!


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## Godlikedog (Jul 8, 2010)

agoura_biker said:


> Got any more details about the Olympia? I've searched your website but besides some oblique references I remember, I haven't been able to find any details! Basic specs, maybe some prototype photos, expected delivery dates??? I just ordered a Xera and wondering about its sibling!


+1 on this.

I thought I could wait 'til May before needing a light, but here it is winter with no snow, warmish temps, and short days. I'm thinking of buying the Dinotte XML-3, but would rather wait for the Gemini Olympia, 'cuz I'm imagining it to be pretty similar, and considering how well you have implemented the Xera and at such a good value.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

agoura_biker said:


> Got any more details about the Olympia? I've searched your website but besides some oblique references I remember, I haven't been able to find any details! Basic specs, maybe some prototype photos, expected delivery dates??? I just ordered a Xera and wondering about its sibling!


I can answer that one for you. 
Photos, Beam shots and specs will be available next week and we are shooting for shipping lights the middle of Feb. if not sooner. I'll post an update if anything changes.

Jim


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## TORO1968 (Oct 9, 2005)

Sweet!!!


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## agoura_biker (Jun 6, 2004)

Action LED Lights said:


> I can answer that one for you.
> Photos, Beam shots and specs will be available next week and we are shooting for shipping lights the middle of Feb. if not sooner. I'll post an update if anything changes.
> 
> Jim


Jim,

Thanks for the information - I have to wait a bit still, but that's just the information I was looking for!

BTW, you are the one I just ordered my Xera from! Thanks for the super fast service! It's suppose to arrive tomorrow, can't wait to try it out!


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

agoura_biker said:


> BTW, you are the one I just ordered my Xera from! Thanks for the super fast service! It's suppose to arrive tomorrow, can't wait to try it out!


If your initials are RA then yes. 
Your welcome.


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## agoura_biker (Jun 6, 2004)

Action LED Lights said:


> If your initials are RA then yes.
> Your welcome.


Yep, that's me! Thanks again!


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

Updates on my burnt led Xera. I finally got around to going to the store to buy some alcohol and q tips. Tried it and nothing came off. I ask a friend and they told me to try alcohol wipes. I tried the alcohol wipes and light scrap it with my nails over the wipes. Still nothing. I just sent a PM to Jim of action led lights for RMA. 

I found the burnt led with less than 2 hours of use. I didn't initially open up the light when I first bought it. I read some fitting issues of the reflectors so I tried fitting it on all 3 of my lights and that's when I notice the led damage. The burnt probably the main reason why there was a slight yellowish color. I recommend to check your xera if you haven't opened up your light.


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## agoura_biker (Jun 6, 2004)

anekin007 said:


> Updates on my burnt led Xera. I finally got around to going to the store to buy some alcohol and q tips. Tried it and nothing came off. I ask a friend and they told me to try alcohol wipes. I tried the alcohol wipes and light scrap it with my nails over the wipes. Still nothing. I just sent a PM to Jim of action led lights for RMA.
> 
> I found the burnt led with less than 2 hours of use. I didn't initially open up the light when I first bought it. I read some fitting issues of the reflectors so I tried fitting it on all 3 of my lights and that's when I notice the led damage. The burnt probably the main reason why there was a slight yellowish color. I recommend to check your xera if you haven't opened up your light.


Thanks for the tip to check the LED. I never would have thought of that without your post. Just got my new Xera today, opened it up...and luckily the LED looks perfect! Whew!

Good luck on getting yours resolved.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

*Gemini Olympia !!!*

I've now got some details and a ship date.
Gemini OLYMPIA
• LED: 3x CREE XM-L
• Brightness: 1700 Lumens (actual)
• Weight: 76g (Light Head)
• Beam Angle: 19°
• Run Time on Maximum: 2 hours (4-cell), 3.5 hours (6-cell)
• 4 modes: High, Med, Low, Flash (All modes are user programmable between 10-100%)
• Hard Anodized T6 Aluminum
• Battery Overcharge and Overheat Protection
• LED Overheat Protection
• IP65 Weatherproof

Like the Xera this thing is incredibly small for the power it puts out. 76g compared to the Xera's 52g or the Titan's 108g.

















Here are some beam shots comparing it to the MJ-880 and MJ-872

Ship date Feb. 15th or before if were lucky.
Pre-orders open

Jim Harger
Action LED Lights


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## Newman_diver (Sep 21, 2009)

I would like to say that I love my Xera lights. Plenty bright and easy on the wallet. The only thing I would like to see is a stick on mount available for aftermarket purchase.


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## waltaz (Oct 14, 2004)

*Love my Xera!*

I do a lot of night mountain biking, and 12/24-hour mountain bike racing. I got tired of reliability issues with my older NiteRider Enduro HID's, along with Magicshine battery issues (pre-recall). After a bunch of research, I decided to go with Gemini lights - Xera for the helmet, and Olympia for the bars.

The Olympia wasn't ready to ship before the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race this past weekend, but I had my Xera, thanks to an immediate turnaround from Jim at Action LED. I didn't have the chance to actually ride with it before the race, but I got it all charged and set up. I went with the smaller 2.6Ah battery, with an extra one, so that I could mount the system on my helmet.

Awesome, awesome light and system! I couldn't have been happier with the light and battery life. Quick observations:
- Light head + battery was light and barely noticeable on my helmet...and this was over hours in the saddle. I had wondered whether this would be an issue over time, but absolutely not.
- Light beam is awesome. Was a very nice "spot" out-of-the-box, and that is just my "user observation", and not based on tech specs or whatever.
- Medium setting was plenty bright enough. I left it on Medium the whole time, in conjunction with a bar light (more on that in a second), but I would have left it on Medium, anyway, if I used it alone, as Medium is plenty bright enough, and close to High.
- Battery life was great. The 2.6Ah battery is listed as good for 2 hours on High. My real-world experience was about 3:15, +/-, on Medium, and that was in low-30's temps, and after sitting in the cold for a couple days (thus likely losing a little juice). 
- I liked the "low battery" feature...towards the end of the first battery, it reduced itself to Low, and that lasted for at least 15 mins.

Regarding the bars, I will be running the Olympia as soon as I get it, but for this race, I rented a L&M Dual Seca 1400 from L&M, who was at the race. OMG!!! That thing is SICK!! Super, super bright, and a great beam spread. I ran that on Medium, also, in conjunction with the Xera on Medium, and it was plenty of light, and a great combo. And I got about 7 hours out of the one 6-cell battery, and it never even gave me a "low battery" warning! When the Xera clicked down to Low, as its battery waned, I just upped the Seca to High, and it covered it easily. Again, great light, great battery, great mounting system...but $699!!!

Anyway, I just wanted to post up some real world feedback from a knowledgeable, but not real technical user...


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Agreed, I ran the Xera on the helmet for my night laps at Old Pueblo too. Really nice combo, ran with the MJ-872 and a Lupine Betty on the bars. Definitely a ton of light on the bars but the Xera had enough output even with those two bar mounted lights running on high. Perfect weekend of racing.
Cheers 
GeoMan



waltaz said:


> I do a lot of night mountain biking, and 12/24-hour mountain bike racing. I got tired of reliability issues with my older NiteRider Enduro HID's, along with Magicshine battery issues (pre-recall). After a bunch of research, I decided to go with Gemini lights - Xera for the helmet, and Olympia for the bars.
> 
> The Olympia wasn't ready to ship before the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race this past weekend, but I had my Xera, thanks to an immediate turnaround from Jim at Action LED. I didn't have the chance to actually ride with it before the race, but I got it all charged and set up. I went with the smaller 2.6Ah battery, with an extra one, so that I could mount the system on my helmet.
> 
> ...


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I bought a Gen 1 and then got a Gen 2 light and ran them on the bars all winter. Super fair deal and great lights. I am kinda sad, because its now light enough after work to ride w/o lights and honestly...its not as fun. The best thing is I'm heading into the riding season in BETTER shape than I was when winter started instead of the usual "time to get back on the bike" hole I am used to starting with every year. 

THANKS for the fun winter Gemini!


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

*Edit:*

Please disregard post.

I had beamshot posted of the Olympia and Xera but then noticed my camera shutter speed setting was wrong.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Here is some beamshot comparing the Xera Optic and Xera reflector. Picture taken using standard MTBR setting however shutter was set at 2 sec instead of 4sec due to the fact that my camera only go down to ISO 200.

Edit: Soda bottle in center of picture is 100ft.

Many other beamshot including MS, Bikeray, Gloworn, Olympia and controlshot can be seen here:
Gemini Olympia and Xera beamshot comparison pictures by Colleenlc - Photobucket

Xera Optic









Xera reflector


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

We have about twenty samples of a prototype optic for the *XERA LED Light System*. This optic has a 14° spot beam, with very minimal spill and throws incredibly far.

We're asking any XERA owners out there who would like to test out this new prototype optic.
If there is enough interest, we will continue to develop this optic for XERA.

The prototype will be free of charge, however we may ask you to pay to ship (with our DHL service). You'll be able to have a limited edition prototype in your hands in 3 days, test it, and give us all your opinions.

Best regards,

Gemini Lights


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## Lintott (Oct 14, 2006)

I am in. We are running four Xera's on different bikes and helmets currently. I have been missing deep throw down the trail (from the helmet light).

I will ping you my details.

Cheers


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

@Lintott

Sure thing, PM us your address and telephone number. We can only send you one unit as we have only extremely limited quantities.


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## brianjt (Feb 20, 2011)

I'd like to test a narrow beam pattern out for my helmet mounted Xera. Sent message.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

Message sent!


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

colleen c said:


> Here is some beamshot comparing the Xera Optic and Xera reflector. Picture taken using standard MTBR setting however shutter was set at 2 sec instead of 4sec due to the fact that my camera only go down to ISO 200.
> 
> Edit: Soda bottle in center of picture is 100ft.
> 
> ...


Colleen, thanks for the beamshots. I am thinking about 
buying an Xera for helmet duties. Not sure the throw is enough though.
Not much difference between the optic and the reflector. 
One hundred ft. is good enough for bar duties but not for the helmet.
I hope the newer optic being offered by Gemini adds a bit more throw.

In the mean time the Xera looks to make a fine bar light for either 
Mountain biking or commuting. In the mean time it looks like I'll 
continue to use my drop-in torches for helmet duties until someone 
comes up with something small that has about the same throw ( 150 ft. )


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

colleen c said:


> Here is some beamshot comparing the Xera Optic and Xera reflector. Picture taken using standard MTBR setting however shutter was set at 2 sec instead of 4sec due to the fact that my camera only go down to ISO 200.
> 
> Edit: Soda bottle in center of picture is 100ft.


I think to really see the effect on throw you need to aim the beam higher at something farther away that's hard to see with the optic. The bottles in these photos are easily illuminated either way.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Action LED Lights said:


> I think to really see the effect on throw you need to aim the beam higher at something farther away that's hard to see with the optic. The bottles in these photos are easily illuminated either way.


Agreed. I always wonder why beam shots to "show throw" are taken with the beam pointed at the ground instead of at distant objects.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

gmcttr said:


> Agreed. I always wonder why beam shots to "show throw" are taken with the beam pointed at the ground instead of at distant objects.


That's a good question in which I cannot find a standard definition. In one aspect, the aim of the throw from the light can be use to light thing up on a level line of sight. Here I can see this being useful for wilderness trail riding to avoid branches overhead. OTOH, the throw for a high speed roadie downhill decent is aimed downward pointed at the ground for portholes and other debris.

Most beamshot photo I have seen usually illustrate the beam pattern showing the spread and illumination of the beam pattern on an object at a distant aimed in a way that most typical user will most likely aimed their lights. However, that really does not show the true capabilities of the throw.

So this kind of raises a question for a more standard or generic method of beamshot photo. There is so much different offerings of Led lights that can be used in so many different ways that perhaps beamshot photo should include multiple photo for each light tested. Maybe one photo showing the aim of an object at 100ft on the ground and a second photo aimed level at a wall (tree, car, ...etc) at say something like 200ft or greater?

Thoughts?


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

colleen c said:


> ....Most beamshot photo I have seen usually illustrate the beam pattern showing the spread and illumination of the beam pattern on an object at a distant aimed in a way that most typical user will most likely aimed their lights. However, that really does not show the true capabilities of the throw.
> 
> So this kind of raises a question for a more standard or generic method of beamshot photo. There is so much different offerings of Led lights that can be used in so many different ways that perhaps beamshot photo should include multiple photo for each light tested. Maybe one photo showing the aim of an object at 100ft on the ground and a second photo aimed level at a wall (tree, car, ...etc) at say something like 200ft or greater?
> 
> Thoughts?


When it comes to doing beam photos I think you have to consider all the lights you are comparing and then set the distance markers appropriately. You also need flat ground so you get an even beam spread. Then make sure you have the markers spaced so that they show the limitations of all the lamps included. Not many lamps give "useable throw" to 200 ft. but if you have one that you think will reach 200ft. than you need markers at 150ft. and 200ft. and maybe one at 225ft. Having a progression of distance markers is very helpful when viewing photos but they need to be big enough to be picked up by the camera at a distance. A 20 oz. soda bottle works fine up to about 100ft but beyond that you might need to use the 1 liter size. Regardless, cameras have a hard time picking up objects when doing night photos. Say what you will about settings , it is not an exact science.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

The exact science takes a beam and shines it at a screen and then using light meter with a small pickup and, starting at the center of the beam, measures the intensity in lux at intervals moving out from center, both horizontally and vertically. The results are then plotted as lux vs angle.

Here's an graph that shows the idea (though this would be a terrible bike light)









This is a bare LED and just shows relative output, not lux.

If the graph has a narrow peak at the center with high intensity it's a thrower. If it's a wide peak extending out to +/- 10˚-15˚ (from center) it's a flood.
This test is part of the ANSI FL1 flashlight test standard. Like measuring lumen with a integrating sphere, it gives a true comparison. It takes a test lab to do it and you have to know how to read the graph, but light manufactures are starting to use it.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Anyone interested in a good layman's explanation of the FL1 standard can find it here


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

*Prototype Optics Tested*

We've just come back from a field test for our Prototype 14° Optics. We're pretty convinced it is awesome and we are officially going ahead with the development to make it available for everyone.

See for yourself. Same MTBR settings (F4, 6s, ISO100, Daylight).
Distance markers: First lamp post 30m, second lamp post 60m, third lamp post 90m, white security camera post 100m, large tree at the end to the left 107m. Paved path 5.5m across.


























Say what you will, the prototype optics *throws incredibly far*. There is decent spill directly infront of the light as well. The prototype 14° spot seems to be a mixture of Xera optics and Xera reflector.

Could Xera be the most versatile light on the market?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Lastly, here is the Animated GIF file for the 3 images together. I apologize for the slow loading, it is 1.3MB large and available for download here.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Gemini Lights said:


> The prototype 14° spot seems to be a mixture of Xera optics and Xera reflector.


That is the optic you need to make for the Olympia


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## butasan (May 29, 2009)

I second that! Olympia could make a powerful yet light weight helmet light with a little more throw.



gticlay said:


> That is the optic you need to make for the Olympia


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Got a chance to test the new 14 degree test optic. It does throw farther than the standard reflector and the regular optic. There is a lot less spill in comparison with the standard reflector. I took some beamshot at a telepone pole that is 150ft with all three optics before the rain storm arrived. The picture came out a little blury because it is really windy outside. My tripod was being shaken by the wind. Next chance for some better shot will probably be this weekend after several rain front passes. So far I like the new 14 degree prototype optic over both the standard optic and the older reflector. Sorry for the bad picture, but I will get better shot soon.

Xera new 14 degree prototype optic pictures by Colleenlc - Photobucket


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

colleen c said:


> ...So far I like the *new 14 degree reflector* over both the optic and the older reflector. Sorry for the bad picture, but I will get better shot soon. Here what I got so far:
> 
> Xera *new reflector* pictures by Colleenlc - Photobucket


Hi Colleen,

I believe you may have a typo. The prototype is a 14° optic, not a reflector. In your photobucket gallery, it also says new reflector. 

Glad to hear you like the new prototype 14° optics.. we are going into production with these. Give us about 3 weeks.


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## GraXXoR (Sep 29, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Colleen,
> 
> I believe you may have a typo. The prototype is a 14° optic, not a reflector. In your photobucket gallery, it also says new reflector.
> 
> Glad to hear you like the new prototype 14° optics.. we are going into production with these. Give us about 3 weeks.


When you say 14° optics, do you mean plus -7° on either side of the centre beam or do you mean a 28° optic?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

GraXXoR said:


> When you say 14° optics, do you mean plus -7° on either side of the centre beam or do you mean a 28° optic?


The prototype has FWHM = 14° which is ± 7° from the center.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Colleen,
> 
> I believe you may have a typo. The prototype is a 14° optic, not a reflector. In your photobucket gallery, it also says new reflector.
> 
> Glad to hear you like the new prototype 14° optics.. we are going into production with these. Give us about 3 weeks.


Thanks for pointing that out. I corrected the title in the album and post.

I took my first ride with the 14 degree prototype optic today. I notice up close it has a softer edge on the spot than the old reflector while still retain a throw. On a 30 mph downhill, I did not noticed much of a difference but did see a difference at slower speed.

Most noticable is that or produces a small beam of light projected above my helmet where it is mounted. It has that sort of "light Saber" beam where the standard optic did not have and the old reflector was milder. The difference of this prototype vs the older reflector is subtle and probably only noticable at slower speed which is best used for dirt or trail.

The beam at 5ft on a white wall revealed a spill of only 3-4 ft diameter for the prototype optic while the old reflector had about at least an eight ft diameter spill although the spill is not very bright.


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

colleen c said:


> I took my first ride with the 14 degree prototype optic today. I notice up close it has a softer edge on the spot than the old reflector while still retain a throw. On a 30 mph downhill, I did not noticed much of a difference but did see a difference at slower speed.
> 
> Most noticable is that or produces a small beam of light projected above my helmet where it is mounted. It has that sort of "light Saber" beam where the standard optic did not have and the old reflector was milder. The difference of this prototype vs the older reflector is subtle and probably only noticable at slower speed which is best used for dirt or trail.
> 
> .


I think as far as optics go, this is about as good as you're going to get. The only other thing that could beat it now would be a better reflector and at the current size of the lamp I don't think that is going to happen. Colleen, I know you haven't had it long but would you say the new optic is giving you 150 ft. of "useable" throw? Would be really nice to see a standard terrain beam shot with 150ft. distance marker.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> I think as far as optics go, this is about as good as you're going to get. The only other thing that could beat it now would be a better reflector and at the current size of the lamp I don't think that is going to happen. Colleen, I know you haven't had it long but would you say the new optic is giving you 150 ft. of "useable" throw? Would be really nice to see a standard terrain beam shot with 150ft. distance marker.


I agree, I too think with the current size of the diameter and depth of the light, this is about as good as it get.

At 100ft, the spot is very useable. At about 150ft, thing gets iffy. For projection on the road such as blacktop road, the lumens is lost and absorb rather quickly. For shining at tree along side of the road, houses driveway, or across a 6 lane road, it does Ok. I would suspect it will do better on dense growth on the trail than it does on the public road.

Beyond 150ft, thing dimish rather quickly. There is just not enough Lux hitting the object to get a good light on the subject. For example, last night I tried to shined a garbage dumpster that was about 200ft away down the street in my neighborhood. I know the distant was 200ft because I paced it out earlier before the beamshot. The dumpster was green color and there was some ambient light from the street light. The Xera with the new prototype cannot hit it with clarity for me to defined it as a dumpster. OTOH, out in the open space such as that park where I took my beamshot of the other lights, The ambient light is very little and the Xera with the old Reflector can cast out just enough light on a tree at 200ft to show there is a tree there..... dim but useable. I have yet to try the new prototype optic to see how much of a difference there is at that same spot.


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

Gemini Lights said:


> The prototype has FWHM = 14° which is ± 7° from the center.


So when do you think these will be available?
:thumbsup:


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

NitroRC Ed said:


> So when do you think these will be available?
> :thumbsup:


About 2.5 weeks


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Thanks again to Gemini Lights for sending me one of the prototype 14* optics. I got to play with it a little tonight and it is a winner.

The photos in posts 706 and 707 accurately depict what _my_ old eyes see. A smaller hot spot with slightly better throw and less light to bounce back from close in objects on tight singletrack (hurting your distance vision). I don't see the big increase in intensity shown in colleen c's photos but in all fairness I don't have any greenery to shine the lights on at this time of year...just leaf covered trails and open woods.

I didn't like the reflector at all because I felt it took light away from the hot spot and spread it into the spill area while adding nothing to throw. The new 14* optic compresses the light into a smaller hot spot slightly increasing it's intensity and does not add to the spill area.

Large tree trunks are easily seen at 200' and beyond.

I am a fan of the original 16* optic and this new 14* as well. I'm glad I have both, because I wouldn't want to have to choose between the two.

Short version...If you want a tighter beam then the original with a bit better throw, the 14* optic is a winner.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Hey all,

Here is my initial review of the new 14° optics. Chris & team, thanks for sending me one :thumbsup:

I have been using a pair of the Xera's with stock lenses for the past few months. I run one on the bars with a 4 cell, and one on helmet with 2 cell.

I put the new 14° optic in my helmet mounted light & went out for a 20 mile night ride at BCSP last night. First thoughts, I hope they don't want this back, because I'm not letting it go 
This really makes the bar/helmet combo shine. The long narrow throw lit up the trail farther than I imagined it would. There were a few downhill sections that I have never gone so fast on because my old lights just didn't illuminate the trail far enough. This new lens solved that problem.

One thing I noticed is I never had to turn the helmet light up to high like before, since the light was so concentrated, I left it on medium, aimed farther down the trail it worked very well.

It might take some getting used to if this was the only light/lens you had, as the edges aren't as smooth as the standard lens. But paired with another one using the standard one it is the best of both, bar mounted standard give great amount of light close-up and smooth/wide, then the throw of the 14° optic on the helmet lets you look wherever you need.

:thumbsup:

Sorry no beam shots but here is a close up pic. left is stock, right is new.


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

I ran one optics and one reflector as a pair on my bars all winter and it was a GREAT combo. It looks like the new optics would make the combo just that much better.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

I took some beamshot picture of the Standard optic, Reflector and Prototype optic at a white wall. There is a tape measure with the beam aimed at the 3ft mark. The photo showing the Xera with the Reflector has a different tint and that is no photo error. I can see a different color when using the optic vs reflector. You will notice that the optics is more brighter than the reflector. I think that where the reflector loses some throw although it has a tighter center.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

I took some pictures at the park comparing the difference in the throw of the Standard Optics, Reflector and Prototype Optics for the Xera. Instead of aiming the light at 100ft at the bottle, I aimed them between the two tree in the background. They are 150ft and 200ft.

The picture looks as if the aim is on the ground at the bottle but they are not. The grass reflects a lot of the spill and the camera captures it. You can see where the outer edge of the spill of each lens by looking at the middle of the tree. Also these were taken right after several days of rain and the grass is still wet. You can see that the new Prototype Optics has a much better throw than the Reflector.

Xera Standard Optics









Xera Reflector









Xera Prototype Optics









Control shot for this setting can be seen here. I also included a throw shot for the Magicshine 808E XML since that is what a lot of members uses for their throw light.
Xera new 14 degree prototype optic pictures by Colleenlc - Photobucket


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Thanks for all the pictures and review of the new Spot 14° Optic. Really great to hear your feedback on it. We think it's going to be a great addition to the XERA LED Light bundle.


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

Gemini Lights said:


> We think it's going to be a great addition to the XERA LED Light bundle.


Yep, indeed it will. Now if you can find a tighter optic for the Olympia you will have us eating out of your hand. :thumbsup:


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## haager (Oct 9, 2009)

Got my Xera last week . Have not had it out on a ride yet, but very impressed just playing around the yard. 
Anyone ghetto rig some kind of quick release bar mount?? I'm doing a pub ride Saturday night and I don't want to leave the light on the bike while it is locked up outside. I'm also envisioning myself struggling with the o-ring mount as the night goes
on :smilewinkgrin:. Action sells something that works with the Titan and most MS lights, but I don't know if it works with Xera and at this time I'm not interested in paying $20. My other options are don't take this light (but I want to show it off to friends) or helmet mount (I'd prefer it on the bar for this type or riding).


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## agoura_biker (Jun 6, 2004)

*Need help with headband!*

Since my Xera came with a nice headband, I thought I should try it out! But I'm having a hard time figuring out how to attach the battery securely. On my helmet, the long velcro strap is perfect, but when I try to use that strap on the headband, I have way too much slack, and there's not enough space in the slots to pass the strap through multiple times. I know I must be missing something! What's the secret?

I checked the Gemini web site, but they only show the headband with the 4-cell battery, so no help there.

Thanks!


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

agoura_biker said:


> Since my Xera came with a nice headband, I thought I should try it out! But I'm having a hard time figuring out how to attach the battery securely. On my helmet, the long velcro strap is perfect, but when I try to use that strap on the headband, I have way too much slack, and there's not enough space in the slots to pass the strap through multiple times. I know I must be missing something! What's the secret?
> 
> I checked the Gemini web site, but they only show the headband with the 4-cell battery, so no help there.
> 
> Thanks!


agoura_biker,
You should have gotten 2 straps with the Xera. One about 10" long and one about 6".
The shorter one should work to fasten the battery to the bracket on the back of the head belt


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## icycle (Apr 20, 2004)

agoura_biker said:


> I'm having a hard time figuring out how to attach the battery securely.


I had the same learning experience. Here's how I did it:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109415587149996991865/GeminiLight
Let me know if this doesn't show 2 pics...first time sharing pics this way.


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## agoura_biker (Jun 6, 2004)

Action LED Lights said:


> agoura_biker,
> You should have gotten 2 straps with the Xera. One about 10" long and one about 6".
> The shorter one should work to fasten the battery to the bracket on the back of the head belt


Ah Ha! I looked for a shorter strap, but not very hard I guess. It's there!

Thanks :thumbsup:


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## sbd (Sep 23, 2011)

With daylight savings time here I am not using my light much if at all. What's the best way to store my battery until next year?


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Hi spd, my Lupine charger1 has a long term battery storage feature mode. What it does is drain my battery's, then re-charge back to 50%. Once done i put in a zip lock baggie in the fridge or freezer till needed. You probably already know this, but make sure to give your battery's 24 hours or so to warm up in the fall before you charge them up. So drain to approx 50% put in fridge. Cheers!!!


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Oops,,,,, sorry i ment sbd,,,, just woke up.


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

indebt said:


> ....What it does is drain my battery's, then re-charge back to 50%. Once done i put in a zip lock baggie in the fridge or freezer till needed. You probably already know this, but make sure to give your battery's 24 hours or so to warm up in the fall before you charge them up. So drain to approx 50% put in fridge. Cheers!!!


The only thing I'll add is that if it were me I'd opt to store in the fridge ( vs. the freezer ).
That way you wouldn't have to wait so long for the battery to reach ambient room temp before you charge.


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## luvdabeach2001 (Nov 11, 2011)

My chargers do not have the long storage option. Should I just turn the lights on for a while? What is the reason for the 50% charge?


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

luvdabeach2001 said:


> My chargers do not have the long storage option. Should I just turn the lights on for a while? What is the reason for the 50% charge?


1 - Yes

2 - Because it increases the battery's life.:thumbsup:


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

luvdabeach2001 said:


> My chargers do not have the long storage option. Should I just turn the lights on for a while? What is the reason for the 50% charge?


Yes, you could fully charge the light and then run it for about a third of its normal run time. (with the light hanging in front of a fan)
I slightly more scientific explanation for why is that the battery is in a more highly stressed state when fully charged. If you want more see: How to Store Batteries - Battery University
I agree that the refrigerator is a better choice.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

haager said:


> Got my Xera last week . Have not had it out on a ride yet, but very impressed just playing around the yard.
> Anyone ghetto rig some kind of quick release bar mount?? I'm doing a pub ride Saturday night and I don't want to leave the light on the bike while it is locked up outside. I'm also envisioning myself struggling with the o-ring mount as the night goes
> on :smilewinkgrin:. Action sells something that works with the Titan and most MS lights, but I don't know if it works with Xera and at this time I'm not interested in paying $20. My other options are don't take this light (but I want to show it off to friends) or helmet mount (I'd prefer it on the bar for this type or riding).


The Cateye H34 Flex Tight bracket using a  H27 Spacer  worked for me. The spacer comes with screw and you can use that screw instead of the bolt that is on Gemini O ring mount. The allen head bolt that came with the Gemini is larger and will not fit into the H27 spacer unless you file the spacer down to clear the bolt head. Picture of the setup is  here and here.


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## haager (Oct 9, 2009)

That looks good, thanks for sharing! Can you still rotate the light head (left-right) with that setup? Will it mount on the Gemini helmet strap/mount? 

I used the o ring Saturday night. My buddy's wife has a Titan and lost her o ring at one point. If you are just going to leave it on the bar, it wouldn't be an issue, but the o ring is not ideal if you are taking it on and off a lot.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Yes you can rotate the head left and right to a certain degree before it either gets too tight on the bolt or too loose if you turn it counter clockwise. 

I have yet try that flex bracket on the helmet mount. I will think it should work. However you might find it to have less tilt adjustment than using the original o ring setup. Also the extra bracket will add extra bulk to the helmet strap mount which might make it not as nice looking in comparison to the o ring mount on the helmet mount.


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## haager (Oct 9, 2009)

I also don't want to have to deal with switching back and forth between a quick release type mount and the standard mount when I want to go from bar to helmet. Probably just continue to use the O ring mount. Hopefully the number of occasions when I would be taking it on and off multiple times in a relatively short period of time will be minimal. Thanks again!


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## dhcheese (Apr 18, 2008)

tried them but went for the lower price units


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

Hey guys,

I'm still lovin' my Xera. Riding has started so early in our part of the world that we still have to bring lights on after work rides to finish of the ride... So that has gotten me curious about the 14° optic. I'd always felt I wanted a tighter spot with a tad more throw on my helmet, and this seems like the perfect solution. So I just had a look on ActionLED, Gemini, and Geomangear's sites and can't find it anywhere... how do I go about procuring one (or three)?


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

Gemini Lights said:


> new prototype 14° optics.. we are going into production with these. Give us about 3 weeks.


Any updates as to the new optics?

Thanks


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Aspec said:


> Any updates as to the new optics?
> 
> Thanks


We should have them in about 2 weeks


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

Aspec said:


> Any updates as to the new optics?
> 
> Thanks





Action LED Lights said:


> We should have them in about 2 weeks


excellent. any chance you can keep us posted?


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## manbeer (Oct 14, 2009)

How do the xera's stack up on comparison with the XML titans in terms of output? Is the difference in price mainly due to the size/weight?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

manbeer said:


> How do the xera's stack up on comparison with the XML titans in terms of output? Is the difference in price mainly due to the size/weight?


They are equal in terms of light output.
The Xera is half the size and weight. 
It comes with the helmet mount, headstrap, and hardshell battery standard.
It has programmable modes.


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## Aspec (Mar 4, 2010)

*Optic Status*



Gemini Lights said:


> 3/14/2012: About 2.5 weeks


Chris or Jim, 
What's the word on new optic? Chomp'n at the bit to pick a few up.

Thanks


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Aspec said:


> Chris or Jim,
> What's the word on new optic? Chomp'n at the bit to pick a few up.
> 
> Thanks


A limited number have just arrived. They will be listed later today.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

It's up. xera-spot-optic


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## JoshG (Oct 16, 2004)

What is the upgrade cycle for these lights? In other words if I get a Xera now...it it going to be a new model year available in a few months?


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Hi JoshG, my Xera's have the T-6 XM-L's in them. The new Xera flashlights has XM-L U-2 led in them which gives approx 10% more output. If Gemini havent done it already, that is the only upgrade i can see in the Xera's presesnt application. For it's size it already has the best single led available and is been driven pretty much a hard as it can. This little light kicks but.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

A couple of months ago I upgraded my light systems because of compatibility issues with my first Olympia lighthead/Geoman 6.0 battery combo with another Olympia 6cell kit, a Xera lighthead, and a closeout Titan kit (for the battery and charger). Here's my impressions.

A) All the great things people have posted about the Xera light true (tiny, bright, very adjustable, long runtimes). I ordered the Xera (lighthead, reflector, and Jim at Action sent a modified wide angle lens) to replace my 808e as an everyday light (I spend alot of my miles on bike paths so a low top spill beam is important to me). Unfortunately any combination with the reflector (clear or wide angle lens) has been a bit disapointing in power and beam pattern but I did find that holding the wide angle lens over the front of the light with one of the optics in place gave me what I had expected as a result. It looks to me like the optic miight be the secret to the Xera's power advantage over the 808e Magicshine. I hear Gemini might produce a wide angle optic which would be great, but if not I'm going to bond a wide angle lens to the beasel and I'll be set.

B) While I bought the P7 Titan kit for the battery and charger, I have to say this is a great starter kit. It is slightly more powerful that the P7 Magicshine and has a wider beam and a extra hour of runtime (because of the excellent battery it comes with which would work well with a more powerful lighthead should you ever want to upgrade). I haven't seen much information posted on these lights and even though I think Gemini is going to discontinue selling them (there not on the Gemini website anymore) I've seen several posts asking about them because o the good closeout prices so I 'm sharing my impressions.
Mole


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## jws21 (May 28, 2012)

Sorry to hijack this thread with my first post. I'm looking for a bar mounted light to do some nite trail rides with and would like it to serve as a back up and supplement my current light, A nite rider Minewt 600 which I use on my helmet. On road rides the minewt serves me well but I think I would appreciate some more light on the trails. I'm thinking the Gemini Titan may be a good choice ?

Opinions or suggestions anyone ?


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

jws21 said:


> Sorry to hijack this thread with my first post. I'm looking for a bar mounted light to do some nite trail rides with and would like it to serve as a back up and supplement my current light, A nite rider Minewt 600 which I use on my helmet. On road rides the minewt serves me well but I think I would appreciate some more light on the trails. I'm thinking the Gemini Titan may be a good choice ?
> 
> Opinions or suggestions anyone ?


I think compairing the Titan P7 to the Niterider you own will be the best way to let you know what to expect. Power wise they should be very similar (based on my side by side compairson with my brothers urban 500 which has about the same lux rating in this years MTBR light shootout). The main difference I see is the fact that the Titan will run 4 hours on high. Of course it's not selfcontained so you have to find a place to mount the battery (I find the stem works best for me). The one thing I would recommend adding for bar mounted trail riding is an Action wideangle lens (less than 5$). It really speads the beam out and makes trail riding must eaiser for me. I assume your going to order From Action LED (since thay are the only place I know of that you can still get this light), so you can get the lens with the light kit (currently on closeout) from one place. Hope this helps.
Mole


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## jws21 (May 28, 2012)

MRMOLE said:


> I think compairing the Titan P7 to the Niterider you own will be the best way to let you know what to expect. Power wise they should be very similar (based on my side by side compairson with my brothers urban 500 which has about the same lux rating in this years MTBR light shootout). The main difference I see is the fact that the Titan will run 4 hours on high. Of course it's not selfcontained so you have to find a place to mount the battery (I find the stem works best for me). The one thing I would recommend adding for bar mounted trail riding is an Action wideangle lens (less than 5$). It really speads the beam out and makes trail riding must eaiser for me. I assume your going to order From Action LED (since thay are the only place I know of that you can still get this light), so you can get the lens with the light kit (currently on closeout) from one place. Hope this helps.
> Mole


I was originally planning to just get another minewt 600, the 2012's are on closeout at universal cycles and I prefer the specs of those better than the 2013. Upon shopping around I came across the Gemini's and have heard some good things about them. Lights and Motion has a good beam test comparison on their site and you can compare many Mfg's and the gemini titan looks very impressive imo.

I appreciate your input and you made a very good point about the wide lense from Action LED which where I was looking


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

MRMOLE said:


> ..... It looks to me like the optic miight be the secret to the Xera's power advantage over the 808e Magicshine.
> Mole


MRM, I take it you have both lamps to compare to? In your opinion, would you say the Xera would make a better helmet lamp than the 808E as far as beam pattern/throw is concerned? No question the size and function of the Xera is superior but beam pattern and throw is the question that I have always wondered about. For the extra money the Xera cost I would like to think the output would be better. Your thoughts?


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> MRM, I take it you have both lamps to compare to? In your opinion, would you say the Xera would make a better helmet lamp than the 808E as far as beam pattern/throw is concerned? No question the size and function of the Xera is superior but beam pattern and throw is the question that I have always wondered about. For the extra money the Xera cost I would like to think the output would be better. Your thoughts?


Hi Cat,
Yes I have both lights, and one thing I have to say before answering your question. Saying Xera is no better than a MS808e is like having a beautiful wife (who shares your interests, is a great cook, and does everyting you ask of her) who's just installed a stripper pole in your basement and after her first show you comment that She's no better than the girls at the strip club and that you could have saved alot of money by just going there a couple of nites a week compaired to what it costs being married.

That being said, with regards to helmet use and beam/throw, for the street with the spot optic in the Xera their both about the same. The Xera may be slightly brighter but the difference is so small that I don't think it would improve visibility any. For mountain biking with the standard optic I prefer the Xera, and in every other way I can think of (except price) the Xera is a much better light. Since I bought this as a lighthead only the actual cost difference was only $32 and well worth it in my opinion (See Xera, I love you and appreciate you for all you do).
Mole


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## mat-with-one-t (Nov 23, 2010)

Hi all. I have just sorted (finally) a setup of olympia (bars) and xera (helmet). I will be posting some reviews as we go along, but (at the risk of sounding like an ad), I wanted to draw attention to where I got them. I have been watching out for a deal on these lights for a while. I am in Australia and found this place:
Bike Shop | Lighting - Accessories | Bikes Melbourne
I ended up grabbing some (awesome) Moon rear flashers whilst I was at it, and they did me a deal far better than anyone else online, including the big boys. 
I have no self interest in the place. I'm just posting this as I feel we are the poor cousins in Australia when it comes to deals, and it was awesome to be able to get the best deal locally rather than my usual shopping spree at Chain Reaction! 
Oh - shipping was free, and service from a guy called Peter was awesome!
I'll post some light shots and reviews when I'm set. I used the Xera on my commute to work, thought it was amazing, then realised towards the end I had it running on the low setting!! And the rear Moon Shield is a blinder!!
Mat


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Alright, been a while so I thought I'd come back for an update.

Been using the Xera (1 on bar, 1 on helmet) since March or so....everything is still working great. I have even put the head-strap to use as we've been doing alot of night work lately. It is awesome to have a good light setup, compared to the terrible hardware-store type led headlamps that everyone else was using.

Anyways, thanks Gemini, great stuff! I convinced the coworkers to grab a couple of the older titan's as well when they were on clearance, they are happy with them as well.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

We have our new beam shot page up and running on our website. Check it out to compare the beams of all our Gemini Lights..

*Gemini Lights Beam Shots*

All shots have been taken with MTBR beam shot camera settings, F4 6 seconds, ISO 100, Daylight.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

The new DUO looks awesome! Why do you guys keep making me buy new lights?


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

TwoHeadsBrewing said:


> The new DUO looks awesome! Why do you guys keep making me buy new lights?


So you can test and review them to help us make our own decision :thumbsup:


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