The big LIGHTS thread 2011-2014

Ouija

Rob13 wrote:

diy wrote:

I use two 501bs on low mostly - sometimes on medium for the road bike, works fine and will run 10 hours no problem. I currently have a pair mounted to my clip-ons with an old innertube.

The XM-L t6 in a standard OP 501 or 502 gives a nice spot with a decent flood for road riding. I use two simply to increase my visibility and run times.

Thanks for that. I'm tempted by one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Torchy-BK10-7 ... 1c2fa1ce0d

They look pretty decent, with a good spread for the road. I'm only really after using one, as I wont be out too long on a night run, but coupled with a flashing light they would allow me to see and be seen.

I'm with DIY. Nineteen quid for a 700 lumen 2amp light is too much. Specially when you could get a 900/1000lumen torch with 2.8/3.0amp output for less than a tenner. Just make sure you get good batteries as some can't output enough amps to let the emitter run at it's full brightness (Torchy's own branded batteries have been reported as having this problem). Senybor 5.6mah drain batteries are pretty damn good in this regard..

bartimaeus

It would be handy if they quoted the amps for each mode in the specs.

Danny87

diy wrote:

@rob13, you are paying quite a premium for that light + its got a smooth reflector, so wont be as nice as the orange peel one. Also a 2Ah bat is pretty much poo. If you are prepared to wait 2 weeks, you could get:

http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-501 ... ht-1-18650
£6.99.

Just ordered 2 of these will give them ago. Got batteries and mounts from my existing setup. £14 for 2 flashlights is cheap! However it then made me pay the same again to FedEx it. Did not seem to give me another choice of delivery oh well! £28 or whatever it is still cheap.

bartimaeus

You can avoid the FedEx but you need to speak to Lightmalls to arrange.

Email them at service@lightmalls.com and tell them what you want, asking if they will send via SG post... this should cost usd 4.55. They will give you a quote for your order - and you then make a payment direct to them via their paypal account. You then email them your paypal transaction ID and contact details - and I would restate your order to confirm. They will then ship to you. Worked for me!

They told me that the FedEx is some customs rule for shipments with batteries... but if you just want a torch they seem happy to post SG mail (Singapore Mail?) which is much cheaper.

JamesB

Hi there

I`ve been directed to this forum for help with getting a good set of lights for dark rural lanes road riding

My requirements are:

1. Bright enough to see AND avoid lodsa potholes at road speeds so 20 + mph (downhill )
2. A long battery burn time, preferably 4 hr on MAXM setting

3. So having had a mini thread on Road Buying Advice I`ve come here and wonder if:

I bought from US dealer dxextreme , and If I bought from US how would charger work in UK on 3 pin plugs ?
I`m slightly veering towards a SingFire @ $30 ish as it seems to have good run times; can separate 4 pack batteries can be bought or is it just a case of get separate batteries and swop them into battery holder (are some sealed units too?)

4. and bewildered by range of choice is Sing Fire a good option ?

http://dx.com/p/singfire-sf-90-cree-xm- ... 8&u=174769

many thanks MTBers for advice

Ouija

JamesB wrote:

Hi there

I`ve been directed to this forum for help with getting a good set of lights for dark rural lanes road riding

My requirements are:

1. Bright enough to see AND avoid lodsa potholes at road speeds so 20 + mph (downhill )
2. A long battery burn time, preferably 4 hr on MAXM setting

3. So having had a mini thread on Road Buying Advice I`ve come here and wonder if:

I bought from US dealer dxextreme , and If I bought from US how would charger work in UK on 3 pin plugs ?
I`m slightly veering towards a SingFire @ $30 ish as it seems to have good run times; can separate 4 pack batteries can be bought or is it just a case of get separate batteries and swop them into battery holder (are some sealed units too?)

4. and bewildered by range of choice is Sing Fire a good option ?

http://dx.com/p/singfire-sf-90-cree-xm- ... 8&u=174769

many thanks MTBers for advice

Not a bad choice. You'll get about 2.5/3.0 hours runtimes on high (depends on amp draw and quality of the batteries), but thankfully, it comes with a 'mid' mode which is essential as it gives you only a small drop in brightness but a considerable increase in run times (avoid any that only have high/low/flash as you'll be forced to run it in 'high' all the time, draining the battery much more quickly). Only thing i would say is buy an orange peel reflector for it, as the smooth ones give a very spotty beam.

And if you want much longer runtimes, you can buy a separate battery pack and join them together with a Y-Splitter DC cable or just swap over the packs mid ride.

fossyant

Danny87 wrote:

diy wrote:

@rob13, you are paying quite a premium for that light + its got a smooth reflector, so wont be as nice as the orange peel one. Also a 2Ah bat is pretty much poo. If you are prepared to wait 2 weeks, you could get:

http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-501 ... ht-1-18650
£6.99.

Just ordered 2 of these will give them ago. Got batteries and mounts from my existing setup. £14 for 2 flashlights is cheap! However it then made me pay the same again to FedEx it. Did not seem to give me another choice of delivery oh well! £28 or whatever it is still cheap.

Did the same myself, couldn't be bothered with the 'alternative' method of shipping. Still Cheap !

Danny87

fossyant wrote:

Danny87 wrote:

diy wrote:

@rob13, you are paying quite a premium for that light + its got a smooth reflector, so wont be as nice as the orange peel one. Also a 2Ah bat is pretty much poo. If you are prepared to wait 2 weeks, you could get:

http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-501 ... ht-1-18650
£6.99.

Just ordered 2 of these will give them ago. Got batteries and mounts from my existing setup. £14 for 2 flashlights is cheap! However it then made me pay the same again to FedEx it. Did not seem to give me another choice of delivery oh well! £28 or whatever it is still cheap.

Did the same myself, couldn't be bothered with the 'alternative' method of shipping. Still Cheap !

Have you received your torches? I ordered Friday, had a default PayPal payment received confirmation email. But not had a email to say they've been dispatched or anything like that. Although not sure if they send one. Said 4-8 working days on the site so not expecting it this early was just curious.

Danny87

Ok so received my 2 x 501b torches. 4 working days from Hong Kong :-O
They are quite frankly awesome. If someone can tell me how to upload photos from an iPhone I'd love to show you the size comparisons of the 2 types of torch I have. At first I thought there'd been a mix up with my order and id been sent some novelty key ring flash light. They are tiny! But man talk about a massive difference in brightness and more importantly in my case throw. Thank you diy for your advice at first I thought some of the praise on here was maybe a bit OTT but nope you guys were right 501b is th dogs, nuff said.

Gibbo GTI

I've given up with the 501/502 torches. I've bought 7 in total from DX and LM and to date 5 of the emmiters have died on me. The cheapness of these lights attracted me to them but now I'm gonna end up spending far more than I would have it I'd just bought a branded light.

Ouija

Gibbo GTI wrote:

I've given up with the 501/502 torches. I've bought 7 in total from DX and LM and to date 5 of the emmiters have died on me. The cheapness of these lights attracted me to them but now I'm gonna end up spending far more than I would have it I'd just bought a branded light.

Wow, that's pretty bad. I've owned four 502's for the last two years and haven't had a problem with any of the emitters. Maybe it depends on what kind of emitter (those torches have come with everything from XPG's to the latest XM-L U2's).

-Archie-

Gibbo GTI wrote:

I've given up with the 501/502 torches. I've bought 7 in total from DX and LM and to date 5 of the emmiters have died on me. The cheapness of these lights attracted me to them but now I'm gonna end up spending far more than I would have it I'd just bought a branded light.

People on our local bike community have identical experience with 50x torches: they're widely known to be "poor man's substitution" to real lights, due to inferior thermal management & reliability problems. Many beginners have started using such lights because of cheap price, but quickly discarded them. In fact, I was quite surprised to see so many positive reviews and recommendations related to these torches on this forum...

cooldad

Got a few, never had a problem (over a few years). But at a tenner or so each, even if they didin't last long, at the price they're almost disposable.

-Archie-

cooldad wrote:

But at a tenner or so each, even if they didin't last long, at the price they're almost disposable.

That's true, but when it fails somewhere in the night forest, disposability doesn't seems really attractive.

cooldad

If you're riding with a single one maybe, but most people seem to use two, so you'll get out.
Probably wise to have a back up anyway if you're seriously off the beaten track - even an expensive light can be easily broken if you fall off, or even just knock the bike over.

diy

got over 10 501bs in various forms. Only killed 2 so far, one was an XPG which I dropped on high and the led went, the other was an MCE which I over "clocked" ~4.5A and melted. Most of the problems can be fixed very easily, just by tightening them up or checking the basics. Sooo many people say my torch died when all they have is a lose connection, crap cell or a simple short. Small enough to pack 4 and a couple in the bag if you are worried about reliability. I personally prefer multiple commodity options than a single point of failure.

My mrs even borrows them for outdoor photography studio lights. 2 or 3 on full work well in a soft box

bartimaeus

I'd second what DIY says. A bit of foil, some electrical tape, some grease on the threads and they seem to be pretty good to me... and as cooldad says at under a tenner you don't need to rely on just one.

I've used:
2 x P7 SSCs torches - one broke, but I broke it in a crash, the other is still fine and used by my son.
1 x C1 XRE - still going strong... my son uses it
4 x 501bs - 2 XPGs, one of which died so I replaced the drop-in with an XML-T6, and 2 XML-T6s which are still fine
1 x C8 XML-U3 - which is pretty new but which seems a fantastic light

The only lights I was not impressed with were the 501b XPGs - they got too hot and refused to switch modes; then one died on me. The XMLs have been excellent - they are on their second full winter, and I also ride at night year round, as well as using them as torches when not riding.

To my mind the one big downside of cheap lights is that it is very easy to convince yourself to get another one... I could 'upgrade' one of XML-T6s to a U2 or U3, and I could certainly have a second C8 XML-U3 for my bars. Must resist!

bigdrew1

As per a few posts ago I blew up my XML bulb and the driver for it. I've brought a new bulb. I was going to wire it straight to the battery pack. (8.4V 2S2P) with a resistor (in series?). How can I work out what resistor I will need. Not bothered about modes or a switch, just equivalent to full on the previous driver.

Unless there is a cheap and easy method to get a new, or fix my, driver in which case I am all ears!

Danny87

Well dunno what relevance this has on the matter of reliability but I'm a roadie. I ain't gonna be using these torches in a month or so time for about another 7-8 months. I need them for training 2-3 hours a night 2-3 times a week tops. So ok they might not be ubber reliable but can't see them getting much of a 'workout' on medium/low setting on road 4 months a year. Even if they do got the batteries etc there £30 a pair delivered within 4 working days.. No brainer!

diy

bigdrew1 wrote:

Unless there is a cheap and easy method to get a new, or fix my, driver in which case I am all ears!

I thought you blew the led not the driver? First thing I'd try is old driver and new led using some wires and clips. I think you are going to be pulling too many amps to go direct at 8.4v

otherwise I'd look for a driver rather than going for the resistor route.

bigdrew1

I think the driver blew up first, then I attached the LED straight to the battery, so that ended its life with a big white flash.

I'll try it on the old driver just to check though.

lawman

I guess these have already been posted n here before, but I'm guessing they're pretty good? They look awesome, anyone on here use them?

http://www.candb-seen.co.uk/bikehead-li ... e-xml.html

Neal_

New LED's on sale at Kaidomain, XM-L2 U2 which are brighter/more efficient than XM-L(1) U3 LED's

http://kaidomain.com/Search/SearchResult.xm-l2%20u2

diy

Any idea what the current is? Always cautious buying when the current is not advertised. Some of the cheap drop ins have drivers that are underpowered for the LED. Would like a unit with 2-2.5A @ 4.2v

worth a punt tho:
http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S021229

KokaKona

http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S021215

The details for the drop-in module for the 5-mode model say "Current: 3A-4A with a fresh 18650 battery".
If true, and if it's this drop-in in the 501b, they could both be quite decent...

Neal_

diy wrote:

Any idea what the current is? Always cautious buying when the current is not advertised. Some of the cheap drop ins have drivers that are underpowered for the LED. Would like a unit with 2-2.5A @ 4.2v

worth a punt tho:
http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S021229

Dunno...I guess you'd assume as the 501B's and drop in are both rated at 1400 lumen then they'll both be "3A-4A with a fresh 18650 battery" but as always it'll be random. Lightmalls are selling stars with this LED rated at 1A for what it's worth.

Contact Kaidomain and ask them what is current the 501B?

EDIT: The new LED's seem to be pretty good http://budgetlightforum.com/node/18415

allthegearnoidea

Guys, Quick question,
Ive 2 XML T6 lights, one runs off a 4.2v battey the other an 8.4v, the 8.4v veerion has a Bright white spot in the middle of the beam thats kinda useless, is this as i'm thinking mostly due to the light being at 8.4v?? both battery packs have different connectors ont hem so cant easily swap the lesser voltage one over,

i guess i'm askin, would dropping the voltage on the 8.4v version reduce the white spot???

Ouija

Nope. It;s down to your reflector. Switch it out for and Orange Peel (OP) one or put some diffuser on the lens. Running a 8.4v emitter at 4.2v often doesn't work or causes a very dim stuttering light.

What kind of lights do you have (any pics).

diy

The emitters are likely the same, they will possibly have different drivers. The LED itself actually only runs at between 2.9v and 3.35v irrelevant of the input voltage. Each LED is connected to a driver which regulates the amps and steps the voltage to achieve the target current. Its possible that your 8.4v unit is being driven at higher current than your 4.2v unit, but as said above.. The reflector and head design will make a difference, but you can mod them to soften the spot.

Really we need pics of both, to advise suitable mods.

but to be clear if you put 8.4v through the LED it will melt in under a minute. A little longer for the 4.2v cell.

allthegearnoidea

thanks for that guys,
pictues,
Both together, brighter spot i the lamp on the Right oftepicture (attatched to the helmet mount)


the 4.2v pack light

the 8.4v one

4.2vleft (black) 8.4v right (grey)


beam shot, approx 2m to the wall, 8.4v

4.2v

boh together 8.4 Left, 4.2 Right


i know the dining rooms a mess! ;-)

just sems that the higher voltage lamp gives off amuch brighter spot in the middle with a decent spread of light but an over wite middle,