# My tiny sun Folkslight, self contained monster.



## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

This light recently popped up on my radar, it looks really different / interesting. It has a simple mode with just two outputs and low beam as well as an expert mode which has 12 other groups of modes. Its no looker but it certainly looks interesting

2000 lumens (nominal)
Go Pro mounting system for ultimate stability
Twin beam - switchable between wide angle, spot or both
High beam / low beam
Replaceable optics
USB charging
Built in battery, compact design fits into almost any pocket
Futureproof and upgradeable - new functionality can be uploaded from factory website!
2 year no quibble warranty
Designed and built in Germany to the highest standards.

Powerful LED light | MyTinySun Folkslight | Exclusive distributor in UK | Magicshineuk.co.uk

and here's the manual.

http://www.mytinysun.de/online/templatemedia/all_lang/resources/manual_folkslight_web_DE-GB.pdf


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## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

$200 - looks pretty cool, and lot of output. Any North American dealers yet?


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

http://www.mytinysun.de/shop/page/7...EuC9lnCYoz0ByGQQV81tmNs2voRNaTzgm&shop_param=

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## mb323323 (Aug 1, 2006)

What's the run time on high? Also are batteries 2 18650's and can they be replaced on the trail.

If so, pretty good.


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

They can't be switched on the trail buy the looks of it. But you can open it up and switch them at home. 


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

mb323323 said:


> What's the run time on high? Also are batteries 2 18650's and can they be replaced on the trail.
> 
> If so, pretty good.


1 hour on high. All the details are in the manual mate. I'm hoping to get one to play with but we'll have to wait and see.

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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

Interesting that it comes with "a Go-Pro mounting system *to ensure a secure fit*" "which clamps to the bars using a choice of 3 'O' rings."

I'd have thought they'd mount the go-pro direct to the bars if the really wanted a "secure fit".

Tim


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

Yeah it seems an odd choice. But at least there's loads of gopro bar mounts on the market you can switch it to. I use a CnC k-edge mount. 


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## blackbean (Nov 20, 2012)

spankone said:


> Yeah it seems an odd choice. But at least there's loads of gopro bar mounts on the market you can switch it to. I use a CnC k-edge mount.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Did any of you guys order? The boxed contents states the GoPro and handlebar mounts with O-rings are included. The 4 pictures of the product also shows the mounts and why would you show that as part of the product when it's sold seperately. You would show it as accessories or extras. What do you guys think about this?

I wrote to them and will contact the manufacturer to make sure this is so. I also contacted the US distributor (OpenLightSystems) to find out if or when they'll get the ligth. I bought a OpenLight battery for my Magicshine lights in 2011 which I now use for my Gloworm XS and am very happy with it.

This new MTS light though would totally rock at that form factor and output, even just for an hour on high. And they are legit (not some cheap Chinese knock-off) and have been making lights for years. I remember when I saw the 2700x 3 years ago I was blown away by it, but just thought it was too expensive.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*Just my 2 cents*

M'eh. Looks kind of goofy.

****


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

Yeah it sure does. Lol


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*Designed in Germany???*

Looks like they just took a Yinding/Gemini Duo clone and bolted a battery box on the back of it.

It already needs upgraded, the manual says they are using XM-L's 

****


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

It's an interesting light.

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## blackbean (Nov 20, 2012)

I got one of these. What I do like about it is that you can mount it pretty high up on the handlebar which gives the light more throw and spread. The form-factor though is weird.

This is what I dislike. I think the go-pro mounting system is overly convoluted. Look at the older type Niterider mounting systems and the Gloworm handlebar system. You just turn the handle until it's tight enough, and then clamp it down. The go-pro clamp is very unwieldy. I leave the light on the mount and just remove the mount from the handlebar after each ride. I know it would be a bit easier without the ligth attached, but that takes more time, and convenience is the name of the game for me.

The biggest drawback of this light is the way the mount is attached the light. It's just a screw that goes inbetween the heat sink fins. Totally ridiculous. I only saw this once before on a Chinese light I bought from a guy in Brittain (which I ended up sending back). This is NOT secure and the damned thing loosens up after almost every 2nd ride. It's done in this way so you can swivel the light left or right. BUT you have to tighten it with a screwdriver after swiveling it. And no matter how tight you make it, it will come loose. MAJOR design flaw. IMO it's just cheap to do it this way. The threads on the screw will eventaully wear out or the fins will get damaged. If this light was not so good, I would have sent it back due to this.

When I ride with the ligth I love it. I love the cordless convenience. The beam pattern is fantastic, wide and long. You can alternate between low and high (and you can change the output levels - just a very convoluted process) and you can even just use either the spot beam OR the flood beam.

I'm not sure about the run times, but I think 2 hours might JUST be possible at 50% output (1000 lumens). Last night the indicator light changed from green to blue after 45 minutes and from blue to orange after another 32 minutes. As the days get shorter I will be able to use the light for a longer duration and see how it fares.

Overal 3 out of 5 chilli's I'd say. I paid $275 and dislike the mounting system and form factor. The beam pattern and light color is very good though.


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

Yeah I can see where you're coming from. I find I have to use a screw driver to tighten the gopro thumb screw. And it's a bit top heavy on your helmet. But in use it's great. 


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## blackbean (Nov 20, 2012)

I think I might just superglue the screw next time. I will always keep it on the right side of the stem on the handlebar (so it's swivelled to the left) and therefor would not need to change it again. Its really annoying when you are halfway into a ride and it comes lose. That's on the road, on the mtb I don't even want to think about it. For a light of this overall cost and quality it should not happen.

Other than that the light works great and I find (when I add the helmet light) I really need no more than the low setting. I think Cat-man-do posted somewhere that running his handlebar light at lower power seems to work better for him.


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

Yeah some thread lock should fix it. 


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

blackbean said:


> I got one of these. What I do like about it is that you can mount it pretty high up on the handlebar which gives the light more throw and spread. The form-factor though is weird.
> 
> This is what I dislike. I think the go-pro mounting system is overly convoluted. Look at the older type Niterider mounting systems and the Gloworm handlebar system. You just turn the handle until it's tight enough, and then clamp it down. The go-pro clamp is very unwieldy. I leave the light on the mount and just remove the mount from the handlebar after each ride. I know it would be a bit easier without the ligth attached, but that takes more time, and convenience is the name of the game for me.
> 
> ...


How are you getting on with selecting the expert mode?

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## blackbean (Nov 20, 2012)

spankone said:


> How are you getting on with selecting the expert mode?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm not using it. I think it's overly complex. I use it mostly on the road where 1000 lumens of spot power is enough without it blinding most other road users (off course depending on how you aim it) and as a secondary light when riding trails.

What I am alarmed about is battery life. After about 1:15 of riding on high with the spot beam (1000 lumens) the indicator light went red (which means I should have less than 25% run time available). I would hope the indicator is as bad as the ones on MS lights. I used to have about 40% run time left by the time they would change to red. As the days get shorter I'll be able to ride in darkness for 2 hours and see how it holds up.


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## blackbean (Nov 20, 2012)

spankone said:


> How are you getting on with selecting the expert mode?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


What is your experience with the light like? What do you use it for and what's your opinion/experience on the run times, beam pattern, etc?


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

Just some thoughts: 

Can't believe the Germans are claiming 2000 lumen ( from two XM-L's ). I might expect the Chinese to make such claims but not the Germans. 

Can these work with riser bars? I would think the design would be too long to work on riser bars.

Not sure I understand the reason why so many people think that GoPro mounts are such a big thing. My take on it is that GoPro mounts are targeted more toward camera products. That said perhaps the reason the lamp is using it is so people who buy it have a self-contained light source for their camera tripods. ( makes sense to me ).

There really is no detailed description of how the modes ( UI ) work. (?)

My last thought: I don't see how they call this "tiny". Any lamp that has more than one self-contained battery can't really be tiny. Regardless, it's the basic design / mounting solution which would cause me pause. I say that because any lamp with
"bottom mounting" which has a "taller" profile is going to have stability problems. The more mass that is higher up the higher the center of gravity. This translates over to more stress on the mount ( which is on the bottom of the lamp ) and more possible wiggle / vibration problems. The more weight / mass the lamp has the more an issue this becomes


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## blackbean (Nov 20, 2012)

Cat-man-do said:


> Just some thoughts:
> 
> Can't believe the Germans are claiming 2000 lumen ( from two XM-L's ). I might expect the Chinese to make such claims but not the Germans.
> 
> ...


Cat

'MyTinySun' is actually the brand name. This model is the Volkslight. And if you think that they are saying their lights are like the sun, then they are pretty tiny comparatively.

I don't know if this light actually makes 2K lumens and would like to see a test. I have an XS and should compare the two, but it would be subjective.

I for one think the GoPro mounts are a PITA. The clamp style mounts like Niterider used to have and now Gloworm, are much easier and will always be quicker to mount on the handlebar. I'm getting used to the GoPro mount, but there are so many screws it always interferes with something (like the GPS mounted on my stem).

I actually LIKE that the light sits high on the handlebar (I have no issues with stability when it's buttoned down tight) because it spreads the light over a greater distance.

But yeah, no light will check all the boxes.


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

I'm editing my review ATM. It took me far to long to figure it out but once you've cracked it it's easy. I like the turquoise Eco mode. And I'm looking forward to the next software update that should hopefully make use of the motion sensor and light sensors. 

It's been good on and off road, but just a little to heavy on the lid. 


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

Im not saying it is 2000 lumens but it compares well against my fenix bc30 on 1800 lumen burst mode


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## ononecarbon456 (Jul 13, 2012)

meh 2000L 1800L 1500L they're just numbers, all you need to know is this thing is bright, highly tune able and gives an amazing spread and throw...


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

ononecarbon456 said:


> meh 2000L 1800L 1500L they're just numbers, all you need to know is this thing is bright, highly tune able and gives an amazing spread and throw...


Just numbers unless you have other lamps to compare with and happen to know just what those numbers mean. Then again if you know the operation parameters of the emitters you know the maximum potential of the lamp.
Not all duel XM-L lamps are the same however. My Solarstorm X2 has no where near the output of my Gloworm X2.

The point though that I'm trying to nail down here is that if the sellers exaggerate the actual output of the lamp, the end result is that they lose credibility.


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Cat-man-do said:


> Not sure I understand the reason why so many people think that GoPro mounts are such a big thing. My take on it is that GoPro mounts are targeted more toward camera products. That said perhaps the reason the lamp is using it is so people who buy it have a self-contained light source for their camera tripods. ( makes sense to me ).


Kind of off topic here but I thought it valid to comment on my experience regarding users of GoPro mounts for their lights.

I've been selling adapters for attaching lights to GoPro mounts for about 10 months now. A significant number of the folks buying them fall into three categories.

1. They have a helmet with an integral GoPro mount and want to use it for a light. 
2. They use a GoPro on the bars in daytime and swap to a light at night with just one thumbscrew.
3. They are dissatisfied with the o-ring style mounts common to many Chinese lights.


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

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

spankone said:


> MTS Folkslight (volkslicght) Bike Light Review - YouTube
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Very nice video, well done. I was hoping there would be a bit more info on changing batteries. Otherwise the lamp looks pretty bright and the UI is very unique. I did notice that the handlebar mount was used on a flat bar bike. While the GoPro type mount has it sitting high enough to clear the riser type handlebars I'm not quite sure if the GoPro tighting screw wouldn't contact the bars with the riser type bars. Not sure if that might be a problem.

Interesting self-contained lamp. Hopefully removing it from the bars is not too much problem as that is one of the things that people generally want when buying a lamp with a self-contained battery.


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

I had to squeeze in so much detail that I had to leave things out like the MTS bar mount and how to remove the batteries. But it's as simple as undoing the to screws and letting the back off. The batteries then just pop out. 


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## CHnuschti (Nov 12, 2008)

Cat-man-do said:


> Can't believe the Germans are claiming 2000 lumen ( from two XM-L's ). I might expect the Chinese to make such claims but not the Germans.


Mytinysun themselves have a page where they "guarantee" a number of "real" lumen of their models:
Leistungsgarantie - MyTinySun - High-End LED Licht- und Leuchtensysteme
The folkslight is listed with 1400 lumen. May be a lower threshold with better values of the real thing.

The specs of the light: folkslight 1 - GoPro® Edition - Artikeldetailansicht - MyTinySun - High-End LED Licht- und Leuchtensysteme
define an "up to 2000 lumen nominal", which I would guess correspond to the good-sounding "nominal" values given for some chinese lamps. 

This review/comparison (german) writes of "over 1400 lumen, measured in the laboratory" (1460 lumen in the chart), and as mentioned in the article, obviously seriously measured with an itegrating sphere (" Ulbricht-Kugel ").
LED Lampen für den Trail: 2014 | Bike2do.de

regards


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

That's a great find many thanks. 


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## www.magicshineuk.co.uk (Jun 27, 2010)

*Batteries*



spankone said:


> 1 hour on high. All the details are in the manual mate. I'm hoping to get one to play with but we'll have to wait and see.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


For longer rides it's possible to 'piggy back' a larger battery using the MTS adapter cable


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## www.magicshineuk.co.uk (Jun 27, 2010)

Wombat said:


> Interesting that it comes with "a Go-Pro mounting system *to ensure a secure fit*" "which clamps to the bars using a choice of 3 'O' rings."
> 
> I'd have thought they'd mount the go-pro direct to the bars if the really wanted a "secure fit".
> 
> Tim


All GoPro bar mounts, stem mounts and helmet mounts available and work really well if 'o' ring not enough


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## johnnymcg259 (Nov 12, 2014)

I'm gonna be using this light in the UK 2014/15 winter fro road bike use. The Go-Pro mounting system is a weak point of this lights design imo. I've bought an aftermarket bar mount and (as some others users in this forum mention) it does come loose no matter what. I'm gonna get and apply some Loctite to the threads and see if that helps? The light beam and strength is easily ok for road use; battery run times?..........I'll get back to you on that some time after a few weeks further use..........


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