The big LIGHTS thread 2011-2014

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  • 101_North
    101_North Posts: 607
    101_North wrote:
    diy wrote:
    ^^^^ sounds perfect then and worth the cash if you have old XRE based 50x units to upgrade. I would say 2.4A is the ideal max output for this unit. Any idea what the draw is on med and low?

    I'd really need to check again but off the top of my head medium was around 0.8 - 1A and low was very low at around 0.1/0.2A. Good spread between the modes and to be honest 2 torches on medium is fine for me with the option of more light if it's needed. Plenty of people reporting around 3A on high on Manafont but that's not been my experience.

    I can charge up a fresh cell and check this properly tomorrow (out tonight straight after work) if anyone is interested?

    101

    My initial thoughts were pretty spot on. Checked this a freshly charged cell - Trustfire Flame. After an initial reading of 2.69 it quickly settled to around 2.38A - 2.43A. On medium it measured a steady 0.8A and low was 0.17A.

    101
  • pilsburypie
    pilsburypie Posts: 891
    edited November 2011
    OK, here is my light test. I have 2 x 510 lumen T6 torches and a 1200 lumen magic shine copy with the wide angled lens. That lens really makes a difference as the magic shine is a very tight spot and the lens for just a few $ really opens the light up. So, pictures as follows (iso 400, f5.6, 1 sec exposure on all except the daylight shot).

    I found that I could make the lights more effective by pointing them slightly different ways to give greater coverage as opposed to all pointing in the same direction. Not really visible on the photos as the lights were all resting on a table by the camera.

    (Pics - captions underneath, 2 x 501 torch, 1 x 501 torch, garden in daylight, 1 magic shine W/A + 2 x 501 torches, 1 magic shine W/A, 1 magic shine with original lens)
  • pilsburypie
    pilsburypie Posts: 891
    cont...
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Not sure if the pics are fibbing, but it looks like the £30 MS clone is a bit avg. compared to the 501s
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  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    Looked it right next to each other,



    The MS clone has a brighter hotspot and MUCH more spill than the 501, with the spill slightly brighter to my eyes too.

    This fits with my findings - initially thought it was too tight because of the bright hotspot, even bought a wide angle adapter but now not sure I will bother using it because the spill is there, its just that the hotspot is super bright and misleads you.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    For completeness, the MS Clone with wide angle against the 501

  • paultownsend
    paultownsend Posts: 87
    lights ordered on the 1st. delivered today.16 days. i find that pretty amazing. output looks equally so.
  • buy_my_cookies
    buy_my_cookies Posts: 114
    Hi,
    I have a ultrafire wf-502b xpg tourch that i got last year and its stopped working i have watched the youtube video and tried all the fixes suggested and when i wire the battery straight onto the dropin i dont get any light. i know the battery and tail cap works as i have another touch to test it on.

    so i need a new dropin thingy, can anyone suggest one? and does it work out much cheaper then just getting a new tourch?
  • monkey_man_1
    monkey_man_1 Posts: 108
    order from DX on the 10th of oct, 502b's got delivered today! not the best service i have to say, especially as one of the two packages got badly split open leaving me without the 3 sets of batteries that were ment to be in the packet! :( case is open with dx will jsut see how they respond! plus side is i tried out the torches using an old laptop cell and i have to say for the money they do look very good! will go for a night ride soon if i can get some more cheap cells from somewhere in the mean time!
  • nil1121
    nil1121 Posts: 71
    I'm still waiting for an order from DX that was dispatched on the 14th Oct !! Think i will be going thro paypal to try and get my money back as not getting any answers from DX.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    I seem to remember this happening last year which resulted in most people switching to bestofferbuy. Sadly BOB are not competitive this year.

    I would re-purchase from lightmalls or manafont.
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  • paultownsend
    paultownsend Posts: 87
    looks like i was extremely lucky then!

    I will purchase from DX again
  • nil1121
    nil1121 Posts: 71
    luckily its only for some batteries, charger and a couple of handle bar mounts.
  • d3matt
    d3matt Posts: 510
    I wasn't happy with the time DX took to dispatch so I used Lightmalls next time and it took half the time.
    Packaging still wasn't great though.
    Riding this Boardman Team FS 2010. Also trying my first blog.
  • buy_my_cookies
    buy_my_cookies Posts: 114
    buy_my_cookies wrote:
    Hi,
    I have a ultrafire wf-502b xpg tourch that i got last year and its stopped working i have watched the youtube video and tried all the fixes suggested and when i wire the battery straight onto the dropin i dont get any light. i know the battery and tail cap works as i have another touch to test it on.

    so i need a new dropin thingy, can anyone suggest one? and does it work out much cheaper then just getting a new tourch?

    do i have to use another xpg one or will this work?
    http://www.lightmalls.com/cree-xm-l-u2-1a-1000-lumen-3-7v-4-2v-5-mode-led-lamp-xml-drop-in
    thanks.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    That will be fine, for a small additional cost (£2-3) though you may as well buy the whole unit and keep the others for spares.

    my next suggestion would be to peel the white paper cap off and check the wires on the driver.
    SST50_4500K_Pill.JPG
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  • paultownsend
    paultownsend Posts: 87
    so first ride, just got back. and i must say im impressed!

    as a pair, the UltraFire WF-501B XM-LT6 5-Mode 510's are fantastic for the money. glued up the mounts and there solid. even on the rough stuff.

    and im well chuffed with the TrustFire TR-801 Cree Q5-WC 230 as a helmet light. quite a focused beam with enough flood. For £8.73! my mate is gutted he paid £150 for an exposure joystick!

    i only went for a 30 minute loop but they lasted and didnt seem to fade. im using protected batteries. are these ok to run until flat? and will they be at full power until then, or will they fade slightly?
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    paultownsend wrote:
    and im well chuffed with the TrustFire TR-801 Cree Q5-WC 230 as a helmet light. quite a focused beam with enough flood. For £8.73! my mate is gutted he paid £150 for an exposure joystick!

    i only went for a 30 minute loop but they lasted and didnt seem to fade. im using protected batteries. are these ok to run until flat? and will they be at full power until then, or will they fade slightly?

    I have many mates like your mate.

    Protected cells will just go off when the voltage drops too low or the current is too high or there is a short.
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  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    The Joystick is the biggest joke in the wrold of MTB lighting.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

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  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    supersonic wrote:
    The Joystick is the biggest joke in the wrold of MTB lighting.

    The mounts are good... But being able to buy a torch for £20 or less, that'll fit into the mount and do the job better than the £125 Joystick is ridiculous isn't it... Yet people queue up to buy them.

    Diablo is worse though, really.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • d3matt
    d3matt Posts: 510
    I so nearly brought one, then luckily discovered a forum thread that pointed me to the cheap torches just a couple of days before I was going to splash out £160!!
    Riding this Boardman Team FS 2010. Also trying my first blog.
  • pilsburypie
    pilsburypie Posts: 891
    The photos I posted are a good representation of the light produced. The 501 t6 torched are a whiter light and give the appearance of being brighter over short distances like my garden. The magic shine copy has a much further throw of the light even with the wa adapter. But really speaking it ain't too often you have a wide open space in front of you and even so, the 501's throw their light a decent distance anyway.

    The only reason to get the magic shine over the 501's is the battery life in my opinion. Knowing what I know now I'd have gone for another 501 instead.....
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Interesting view. Seems a real shame as that little MS clone simply needs a shallower reflector and it would do the business.
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  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    What are people using to mount these torches? I've got 2 ultrafire P7 jobies but all the mounts I have are a bit cr4p.
  • Neal_
    Neal_ Posts: 477
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    What are people using to mount these torches? I've got 2 ultrafire P7 jobies but all the mounts I have are a bit cr4p.

    This one which I ordered recently and took 17 days to arrive http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal- ... -8mm-15342 although it'll probably be quicker from Manafont http://www.manafont.com/product_info.ph ... ter-p-3345.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    I use 22mm copper pipe clips connected to whatever QR mount I can get hold of. about 13p each.

    This also works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2uN5YkyQyA
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  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    What are people using to mount these torches? I've got 2 ultrafire P7 jobies but all the mounts I have are a bit cr4p.

    Post office red rubber bands and blutak, for the helmet :) Made a QR clamp for the bars but the one on my commuter is a semipermanent fit, with 2 jubilee clips. Perfick.

    The joystick clamp works well with some torches- my XML needs padded out with electric tape though and some are too fat. Not cheap obviously.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • stellamandude
    stellamandude Posts: 91
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    What are people using to mount these torches? I've got 2 ultrafire P7 jobies but all the mounts I have are a bit cr4p.

    Another alternative (got these myself, work very well)

    http://www.dealextreme.com/p/mount-hold ... lack-57322

    You can also find them on Ebay, search "flash light mount"
  • 101_North
    101_North Posts: 607
    I've a question regarding charging which I'm hoping someone might know the answer 2.

    I have a hobby charger which can charge at up to 5A. I've been charging my single cells at 1A. I've read plenty online and many 18650 manufactures state that you can charge an 18650 up to 0.8C i.e. battery capacity/0.8c = charge rate. All makes sense - however! I've also got a 1S4P pack with a total capacity of around 10,000mAh. Using the previous formula that would work out at a charge rate of 9A or something! The charger obviously won't do this but would I be safe enough charging this pack at 2.5/3A? I'm assuming the charging current would be split across the 4 cells?

    Any thought appreciated :-)

    101
  • night_porter
    night_porter Posts: 888
    101_North wrote:
    I've a question regarding charging which I'm hoping someone might know the answer 2.

    I have a hobby charger which can charge at up to 5A. I've been charging my single cells at 1A. I've read plenty online and many 18650 manufactures state that you can charge an 18650 up to 0.8C i.e. battery capacity/0.8c = charge rate. All makes sense - however! I've also got a 1S4P pack with a total capacity of around 10,000mAh. Using the previous formula that would work out at a charge rate of 9A or something! The charger obviously won't do this but would I be safe enough charging this pack at 2.5/3A? I'm assuming the charging current would be split across the 4 cells?

    Any thought appreciated :-)

    101

    If you could actually guarantee that the current was split equally over all 4 cells then charging with a higher current would be okay. However, if any of the cells has been discharged more it will try and draw more current so it could exceed the 0.8c rate of the individual cell, which must be 2500mAh. To be safe I would not exceed 2A just in case 1 cell is drawing all of the current.

    If there is a balance circuit on the battery pack then it should negate all I have just said but I would still err on the side of caution.

    You must get a phenominal run time with that battery pack though? How long?

    I have thought about making a pack like that but to eradicate the problems of charging I would use removeable cells and charge them indivually.

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