The big LIGHTS thread 2011-2014

bartimaeus

XML U2 is supposedly better than XML T6 though I'm not sure how you tell them apart. XPG is previous generation and looks very different... XML is noticeably better than XPG (or at least the ones I have are).

diy

The difference between the T6 and the U2 is just binning. The U2 produces more light than the T6 for the same input. You cannot tell them apart by looking at them. XPG is still a good LED, but its 30% less efficient than the T6 and peaks at around 500 Lumen @ 1.5A, though some of the later bins can do more. There is a new XPG v2 on the market, but I haven't seen anyone using them yet. Its still not as efficient as the XM-L

roverthehill

any suggestions for a bar mount?

I've bought 3 different plastic ones and they are all CRAP. Are there any universal metal ones that you can screw together? Had a look online but had no luck .

I've kinda mended a plastic one with a couple of cable ties but was wondering what else is out there!

concorde

For bars...

http://www.dx.com/p/universal-bicycle-mount-for-flashlights-and-gadgets-2cm-3cm-diameter-adjustable-15642?rt=1&p=2&m=2&r=3&k=1&t=1&s=31871&u=15642

For helmet...

http://www.dx.com/p/universal-adjustable-bicycle-mount-for-flashlights-2cm-4cm-diameter-31871?rt=1&p=2&m=2&r=3&k=1&t=1&s=15642&u=31871

RandG

Someone mention lumens ?

How about this bad boy ?? Tell me what's wrong with this ??

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-5400 ... 1c2c8da6a7

supersonic

It ain't 5400 lumens, more like 2000. Same as this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3xCREE-XM-L-X ... 2a2427d271

RandG

Excuse my ignorance but come they are claiming huge lumens and you are saying only 2000 ?

Ouija

RandG wrote:

Excuse my ignorance but come they are claiming huge lumens and you are saying only 2000 ?

Because the max lumens of a T6 is around 1000 (running it at 8 volts and maximum amps draw) giving the light that you linked a theoretical max output of 3000 lumens. However, they don't run the T6's in that light at their maximum ampage, as far as i know (though they can be modded).

Not a very good light for road use either, as it's too floody with the lights pushed up against the front of the glass and no way of varying the brightness of the T6's (you just have 1, 2 or 3 on at max brightness) which will blind oncoming traffic even in it's lowest mode.

concorde

Ouija wrote:

RandG wrote:

Excuse my ignorance but come they are claiming huge lumens and you are saying only 2000 ?

Because the max lumens of a T6 is around 1000 (running it at 8 volts and maximum amps draw) giving the light that you linked a theoretical max output of 3000 lumens. However, they don't run the T6's in that light at their maximum ampage, as far as i know (though they can be modded).

Not a very good light for road use either, as it's too floody with the lights pushed up against the front of the glass and no way of varying the brightness of the T6's (you just have 1, 2 or 3 on at max brightness) which will blind oncoming traffic even in it's lowest mode.

otherwise known as... a pile of shit!

RandG

All i need/want is it to light up the dark woods where i ride at night, no caring about blinding anyone on the road.

diy

One light is not really enough for night MTB no matter how bright it is. two on the bars and one or two on the lid helps you see the trail and light up where you are looking. A couple of T6/U2 based torches on the bars and 1 or 2 on the lid will give you more than enough output and no single point of failure. You can also step them down (if you get a 5 mode) for times when you don't need as much. In addition a couple of spare cells in the bag will get you home if you stay out a little longer than you planned.

check my sig for links/options.

lostboysaint

diy wrote:

One light is not really enough for night MTB no matter how bright it is. two on the bars and one or two on the lid helps you see the trail and light up where you are looking. A couple of T6/U2 based torches on the bars and 1 or 2 on the lid will give you more than enough output and no single point of failure. You can also step them down (if you get a 5 mode) for times when you don't need as much. In addition a couple of spare cells in the bag will get you home if you stay out a little longer than you planned.

check my sig for links/options.

You have the wrong lights then.

One on the bars, one on the helmet, spare batteries etc. as you say.

inkz

I've got a load of old latop batteries here which I assume have no protection. Now this shouldn't in theory be a problem when charging because my charger should stop at 4.2v, but how do you prevent discharging them too much? Do you just learn how long to run them for before the voltage gets to a certain point or just not worry too much about it?

diy

Yep, they will take a few goes to get them up to 4.2v, as they will have spent their life at around 3.7v, Just watch the heat while charging and be prepared to charge for an hour rest for 5 mins charge again etc for the first few times.

Once you get them stable at 4.2v you can monitor the voltage after say a 30 minute ride and then work out roughly how much you have used. Don't take them below 3.6v is possible. In theory whatever Ah they claim, you will get more, since they will be rated at the given Ah at 3.7v. They will also be typically rated at 3A, so a 2.2Ah cell may actually go for 2.4 or 2.5Ah in a torch at 1.5A. Also some of the quality 18650s are good down to 3v, which is pretty close to the point that the driver will dim the light.

-Archie-

InkZ wrote:

I've got a load of old latop batteries here which I assume have no protection.

The battery as such definitely does have protection, but individual cells inside it - don't.

Now this shouldn't in theory be a problem when charging because my charger should stop at 4.2v, but how do you prevent discharging them too much? Do you just learn how long to run them for before the voltage gets to a certain point or just not worry too much about it?

Do you have a multimeter? First thing is, to check the voltage of each cell: it it's below 3v, it should be initially charged with small current until it reach 3v level. Good chargers (like Xtar mentioned here earlier) are doing that automatically, but cheap Chinese ones don't. If the cell is below 2v, don't attempt to charge it at all: it would be dangerous.

As for discharge - check how your light(s) is performing at the approximately 3 volt power. Most likely, as dyi has noted, you'll notice a brightness change. Next, just try to remember how it looks like, and use as "battery warning" in your rides.

-Archie-

diy wrote:

In theory whatever Ah they claim, you will get more, since they will be rated at the given Ah at 3.7v. They will also be typically rated at 3A, so a 2.2Ah cell may actually go for 2.4 or 2.5Ah in a torch at 1.5A.

This theory is wrong.

Also some of the quality 18650s are good down to 3v,

Not "some". It is most common limit for wast majority of lithium-cobalt cells.

inkz

Thanks guys, I do have the xtar charger so I'll get them home and stick a multimeter on them tonight, see what's decent and get them charged up.

Once my torches arrive from my chinese fake uk stock seller I think I'll leave the torch on and measure the voltage every 30 mins and see how they perform.

shinsplint

InkZ wrote:

ok after literally getting a headache studying this thread, hopefully I've ordered the correct stuff. It's for Road riding through the winter.

2 x 'UltraFire 1000LM Lumens CREE XML XM-L T6 WF-501B LED Flashlight Torch Lamp Light'

1 x '2x Torchy 2800mAh top quality 18650 3.7v protected batteries + protective case'

1 x 'XTAR WP2 II USB Charger For 14500/18650/16340 Battery & Car Adapter & UK Charge'

2 x 'Bike Cycle Light Front Torch Mount Bracket Clamp Holder'

oh... I need a biscuit tin and a hazmat suit also :S

£51.70 for the whole setup sourced from UK stock (I need it asap).

Guys, looking to buy this exact setup. However the listing for the batteries (Torchy 2800mAh) has ended and the seller has no more listed at the moment. Can anyon recommend a similar battery? As you may have guessed i'm clueless with all this :oops:

Thanks in advance

shinsplint

In addition to my previous post, can anyone tell me roughly how much time can be expected from this setup (on full power) ?

My road rides are up to 3-4 hours in the winter. I'm thinking I may have bought the wrong torch ??

inkz

ShinSplint wrote:

In addition to my previous post, can anyone tell me roughly how much time can be expected from this setup (on full power) ?

My road rides are up to 3-4 hours in the winter. I'm thinking I may have bought the wrong torch ??

Just take spare cells with you. I don't think you'll need to run it on full either, even in pitch black. You'll have same issue with any light.

diy

I would suggest 1 more torch to be honest. 2 is fine but 3 is better for off road. For on road, you wont need 2 on full power, 2 on medium is fine for riding even in the darkest lanes. For normal well lit roads 2 on low is enough.

2 on medium will give you 3 hours typically
2 on low will give up to 10 hours

shinsplint

diy wrote:

I would suggest 1 more torch to be honest. 2 is fine but 3 is better.

Thanks. I recently bought an LED Lenser P7 which i'll be using as well. Its bright enough on full power, but with the supplied batteries (LED Lenser labelled) it only lasted an hour or so before it started dimming. It uses 4 x AAA batteries.

Still, I suppose if I alternate between the two I should get a decent length of time.

Ouija

InkZ wrote:

Thanks guys, I do have the xtar charger so I'll get them home and stick a multimeter on them tonight, see what's decent and get them charged up.

Once my torches arrive from my chinese fake uk stock seller I think I'll leave the torch on and measure the voltage every 30 mins and see how they perform.

Probably worth noting that you shouldn't charge Li-ion batteries up to 4.2v and then leave them that way as the battery is under a certain amount of strain at that voltage. Leaving them fully charged for long periods of time can shorten their lifespan, which is why the manufacturers only fill the battery to 40% charge before shipping/storage. It's a good idea, therefore, to leave the battery at 40% charge and store them somewhere cool, like your fridge (not freezer) and only charge them immediately before you intend to use them. With unprotected cells, the battery should remain at the 40% charge indefinitely but protected batteries will lose charge slightly over time due to the protection circuitry drawing off some power.

supersonic

ShinSplint wrote:

diy wrote:

I would suggest 1 more torch to be honest. 2 is fine but 3 is better.

Thanks. I recently bought an LED Lenser P7 which i'll be using as well. Its bright enough on full power, but with the supplied batteries (LED Lenser labelled) it only lasted an hour or so before it started dimming. It uses 4 x AAA batteries.

Still, I suppose if I alternate between the two I should get a decent length of time.

To be frank, the Lenser P7 is poor. Is heavy, uses old tech (does not have an SSC P7 LED, which is getting on anyway), poor runtime and is comprehensively outclassed by the XML torches. I would think about selling it and getting something better.

Ouija

ShinSplint wrote:

In addition to my previous post, can anyone tell me roughly how much time can be expected from this setup (on full power) ?

My road rides are up to 3-4 hours in the winter. I'm thinking I may have bought the wrong torch ??

Typically, you'll get between 1 hour to 1.5 hours runtime on the max 900/1000 lumen output depending on the quality of charger and battery (batteries that are labelled 2800mAh and actually are that rating will give you the 1.5 hr.... the cheaper batteries that end in "fire" and are mislabelled as 2200mAh typically struggle to give you 1 hr).

On medium mode (about 5/600 lumens), you'll typically get 3 hrs with the better batteries and around 2 hr with the 'cheapies'.

Low mode (200/300 lumen) will run most of the night and, while you can see where your going on a pitch black road in this mode, (after your eyes have adjusted) it's probably only useful for riding beneath street lights to simply let other motorists know you are there.

Ouija

ShinSplint wrote:

diy wrote:

I would suggest 1 more torch to be honest. 2 is fine but 3 is better.

Thanks. I recently bought an LED Lenser P7 which i'll be using as well. Its bright enough on full power, but with the supplied batteries (LED Lenser labelled) it only lasted an hour or so before it started dimming. It uses 4 x AAA batteries.

Still, I suppose if I alternate between the two I should get a decent length of time.

Bad choice....

Draws lots of power to emit very little light using heavy batteries with only a fraction of the storage capacity of Li-Ion batteries.

scoobywrx

ShinSplint wrote:

InkZ wrote:

ok after literally getting a headache studying this thread, hopefully I've ordered the correct stuff. It's for Road riding through the winter.

2 x 'UltraFire 1000LM Lumens CREE XML XM-L T6 WF-501B LED Flashlight Torch Lamp Light'

1 x '2x Torchy 2800mAh top quality 18650 3.7v protected batteries + protective case'

1 x 'XTAR WP2 II USB Charger For 14500/18650/16340 Battery & Car Adapter & UK Charge'

2 x 'Bike Cycle Light Front Torch Mount Bracket Clamp Holder'

oh... I need a biscuit tin and a hazmat suit also :S

£51.70 for the whole setup sourced from UK stock (I need it asap).

Guys, looking to buy this exact setup. However the listing for the batteries (Torchy 2800mAh) has ended and the seller has no more listed at the moment. Can anyon recommend a similar battery? As you may have guessed i'm clueless with all this :oops:

Thanks in advance

I have the Torchy 2800mAh batts and next i bought the Senybor 2800 mAh which are equally as good
I use 4 of these in my Skyray King and last night after 2 hours there was no dimming

shinsplint

Cheers guys.

diy

ShinSplint I was editing when you replied. For road riding two lights will be fine on medium.
Last time I looked the Lenser P7 ran an old XRE Cree Led which is about 50% as efficient as the current crop of XM-L Leds.

shinsplint

diy wrote:

ShinSplint I was editing when you replied. For road riding two lights will be fine on medium.

Cheers mate.

Scooby - That Skyray King looks a beast do you have that mounted to your bars?