The big LIGHTS thread 2011-2014

Ouija

Not a lot of difference between the two other than the HX T6 doesn't exaggerate as much. It has a zoomable lens by the looks of it because the one you linked to can be very very spotty without an OP reflector or some kind of diffusing lens. The remote switch on the HX would be useful i imagine, as all you have to do is reach up and tap the side of your head (your purple one looks like the button is on the back of the unit which may be hard to reach while bouncing around).

As for the charger thing, it depends if your DX charger is 8.4v or 4.2v.

Mark__gti

Just received a Yinding YD from FastTech over the weekend, Light appears to be very well made apart from the cheap connectors they've used to connect the battery to the light, how waterproof do these need to be?

Ouija

Depends how often you ride in the rain and damp conditions. The better lights have click lock connectors where the sheaf of the battery connector completely encompasses the light head jack, often with a small dimple on the head jack end that clicks into a depression in the sheaf to stop the two coming apart.

Mark__gti

Well the light is going to be used for commuting through out the winter, my other thought was to get a MagicShine extension cable and put some heat shrink on the head light end, then store the battery in one of those Pro storage bottles?

Ouija

The Magicshine extension cable is a click lock design so you'll probably find the female plug wraps completely round your head units jack socket so there is no need to shrink wrap.

Mark__gti

Awesome, I'll give that a go then.

marcusww

just received a few bits from Lightmalls and DX today that was odered on 20th November so I assume xmas post has ended for UK delivery.

kevinharley

OK, I'm going to put an order in for two of these:

http://www.lightmalls.com/power-style-h ... ht-2x18650

It doesn't come with batteries, so can someone link me to a good seller of good value and good quality batteries that would be suitable for this light and the supplied charger? I've read a lot on here about dodgy batteries / exploding batteries / batteries that don't give anything like the runtime they should ..

Given that these headtorches only use 2 x 18650 batteries, I'm looking to maximise runtime, ideally up to 1.5 hours, using the headtorch on a mix of max and low mode.

Thanks

brunch rider

Two 18650s should give a reasonable runtime depending on the draw.

For batteries this guy is often recommended (see a page back) http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/big_f_d_d/m.h ... 1543.l2654

Ouija

Two 18650's should get you a three hours on max brightness. And that's assuming that 'max brightness' means running the led at the manufacturers stated max output (3A) which a lot of lights don't do.

Big dave 3

What happened to the big lights sticky at the top of the threads? Every link comes up as broken.

I have 2 x Ultrafire WF-501Bs that I've had for a few years. They are fine around town, but flicker a bit & change mode when you go over a bump.

Today I went down some really dark country roads & they were totally inadequate.

Please can anyone tell me the best no messing around tourch or light for handlebar mount. It doesn't need to be especially bright or helmet mounted, just reliable & something that works.

bartimaeus

They change modes because the cell is moving around and interrupting the current - the clicky-clicky tailcap switch works the same way to change modes. It's an easy fix with some electrical tape wrapped round the cells to make them fit more snugly, and maybe a 'spacer' to make the cell longer. I use magnets, other use a washer or similar, but just be careful not to cause a short.

The latest 501bs come with XM-L2 LEDs and are fantastic for under £10.

marcusww

Yesterday I received 2 x C8 with cree XM L2 U2 with OP lense - these are amazing for the road bike very white in comparison to the XMl's and very powerful throw.

We tried this against a light with 4 x xml's leds, and the C8 was not far off.

Also received a XML U3 501b and this was much yellower that the XM L2 U2 but a wider throw.

Both lights considerably better than my Zoomable XML T6.

What handlebar mounts do people use with the C8's?

Big dave 3

Bartimaeus wrote:

They change modes because the cell is moving around and interrupting the current - the clicky-clicky tailcap switch works the same way to change modes. It's an easy fix with some electrical tape wrapped round the cells to make them fit more snugly, and maybe a 'spacer' to make the cell longer. I use magnets, other use a washer or similar, but just be careful not to cause a short.

The latest 501bs come with XM-L2 LEDs and are fantastic for under £10.

thanks a lot, bartimaeus, I have taped the batteries & Ill see how I get on.

WHat is the difference between the one for under a tenner & the other one you have:

UltraFire C8 Cree XM-L2 5-Mode LED Flashlight Torch - See more at: http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-c8- ... InG8j.dpuf

KokaKona

Sliding a strip of yoghurt pot in alongside the battery does the same job as adding insulating tape to every one of your batteries, with the advantage that you only need to do it once.

john2002

Big dave 3 wrote:

WHat is the difference between the one for under a tenner & the other one you have:

UltraFire C8 Cree XM-L2 5-Mode LED Flashlight Torch - See more at: http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-c8- ... InG8j.dpuf

the 501/502 torch has a smaller head and gives a floody light and
the c8 torch has a bigger heaad and gives a spoty light

is this what you was asking?

Big dave 3

yep, thank you! Exactly what I wanted to know . Im finding this thread complex , with all the different options. I dont fancy a head torch or battery packs etc.

So riding with a 501/502B XM-L2 & a C8 cree XM-L2 together would be a OK setup down country lanes?

Dave

bartimaeus

501b and C8



My C8 has an orange-peel reflector (swapped from an old P7 SSC) so the difference in beam pattern does not seem that great to me... I may take some beamshots to check. The bigger C8 body is a better match for the cheap bar mounts, and it is a generally more robust light. The difference in price is very small - they are about £12.50 now I think.

bartimaeus

You'd probably be fine with just one light for country lanes - but two 501bs both on MEDIUM would work well, giving plenty of light and a good long run time (I've not changed cells on a ride for ages - and I'm usually out 2.5 - 3.0 hours). I never use my lights on FULL on the road as they blind oncoming traffic... I rarely use them on FULL even off-road. On road I run my lights on MEDIUM, and point the bar light at my front wheel if there are cars approaching.

Two lights is better than one, as you don't have a single point of failure.

If you ride anything tight and twisty then a head torch is better than a bar torch - you want to see where you will be going (where you are looking) and not just where your bike is currently heading.

Big dave 3

I have got one of my 501bs nackered-I did the tape on the battery cell mod, but now the battery has got stuck in the torch & I cant get it out!

So maybe Ill order another 501b & get some good cells (maybe Panasonic ones) & run 2 on the handlebars. BUt this time I'll be more careful with the electrical tape!

I don't ride anything twisty.

cheers for explaining simply

john2002

unscrew the tail cap and head of the torch and you will be able to push the battery out..

Big dave 3

john2002 wrote:

unscrew the tail cap and head of the torch and you will be able to push the battery out..

Ah, OK I didnt realise that you could unscrew the end with the bulb/LED in.

Big dave 3

I bought 2 of these: http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650

a pack of these: http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-lc- ... ery-2-pack

& 2 mounts: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... os_product

Hopefully I have ordered the right things

bartimaeus

Big dave 3 wrote:

john2002 wrote:

unscrew the tail cap and head of the torch and you will be able to push the battery out..

Ah, OK I didnt realise that you could unscrew the end with the bulb/LED in.

L-R - assault crown, drop-in with reflector, LED and driver, the body which is just a tube (18650 shown below it) and the tailcap. Once you've taken it apart you can push the cell out of the tube pretty easily.

Ouija

My latest light turned up on Monday.....




Very, very small. No bigger than a head unit on a 502b torch


Also came with a UK plug charger. I also inadvertantly ordered it with a 6 cell battery pack before realizing you could get it without a pack at all.....



The bag has a belt loop in it so you could use this as a head torch if you wanted. However, the orientation of the battery in the bag does mean it sits sideways if you strap it to the tubing of a bike, which isn't that great. Not really a problem as i have other bags that will work with it.

The light comes with one of those stupid screw cap locks which i don't really need so i cut it off as the main section of the plug fits snugly inside the battery connector anyway. The mismatch is probably due to the fact that it's not the battery that comes with the light from the manufacturer as standard, but one of Lightmalls own batteries.



The buttons on the back are almost flush with the casing which makes them hard to push with the fleshy bit of your thumb or if you have gloves on, requiring you to use something harder, such as your fingertip/fingernail. And has with all these lights they come with the stupid rubber band handlebar mounts. Needless to say, as with all my other lights, this was the first thing i ripped off and replaced with something better.

The outer glow ring is cool but kinda bright. You can certainly use it when riding around under street lights but i wouldn't advise setting it to flash as it's quite irritating on your peripheral vision, though you could put a bit of black electrical tape over the top half of the glow ring to prevent this. It's not the hardest thing in the word to make a little hood for it and the ring does give good side visibility to traffic. The two pics below are of the glow ring alone......



Another surprise is that the emitter is a XM-L2, not a XM-L U2 as advertised by lightmalls. You can even see it's a XM-L2 in Lightmalls own pic as it has a silver base instead of the green base of a XM-L. This is a good thing as all the XM-L2's i own (four lights, six emitters) seem to use it to achieve longer runtimes rather than greater brightness. Non of them put out greater brightness than my XM-L T6's and my XM-L U2's are noticeably brighter, but my XM-L2 lights just seem to go on, and on, and on, and on.

For example, my twin head Inton XM-L T6 will eat through a four cell battery pack in an hour and twenty but my twin head XM-L2 lights will stretch that out to over two and a half hours. I imagine this single emitter unit would be capable of getting between four to five hours on full on a four cell pack and, after my first ride with it hooked up to a four cell pack it seems like that might be the case. After a three and a half hour ride with a partially drained pack there was no sign that the battery was getting close to drained (at least the green light on the back of the light stayed green).

So, enough blab, some pics of it out and about. Mounted it along side a Sanguan SG N1000..



...probably the best single head T6 emitter i've seen. Noticeably brighter than the other five single head T6's i've got. Noticeably brighter than the Magicshine original they emulate. A complete battery muncher though.

Also using a tiny Ultrafire UF-H4 as a head torch (about 400lumen).....



Sign...


Headtorch..



The Sanguan has a tighter/brighter spot, despite an OP reflector, but the other light is probably better at preserving your night vision so that you sense more in your peripheral vision.

Wet Chalk fire road


Partially dry tarmac road....


Headtorch..


To be fair on the poor headtorch, the battery cut out 3 minutes after i took the pics so it was near drained.




And a little whitewall comparison....

502 XM-L T6


New XM-L2 Single head


TrustFire XM-L2 Dual head

fossyant

Any battery warning on the lightmalls lamps. I've ordered two to run off 3400 mah Panasonic cells with one of the battery cases you can change the cells, shown earlier in the thread.

I will be using these for winter commutes due to the side visibility

Ouija

Haven't tried the 6 cell pack that came with mine (reckon i didn't really need it since the lights so frugal on juice). Was running the Sanguan off the plastic DIY battery box (it's whats in the white bag under my rear seat) with four Senybor 3200mAh 5.6amp high drain batteries. Remarkably long run times despite that light being quite consumptive on batteries. Three days use and i haven't had to recharge it yet (the lights still green when i connect it up to the light). Three and a half hours on full and another two hours on medium during the last few days.

As a side note, the screw cap connector that came on my new light does NOT work on the screw cap connector that comes with the plastic DIY battery case (different sizes), hence the reason i snipped it off or i would of used it with that battery pack.

fossyant

Good stuff.

I'm running 2 C&BSeen 500 lumen rear lights of one 5600 pack (4 x 2800 Senybor) and they are quite thirsty, so I just keep topping up with a couple of hours charge.

Planning on using one pack to run those 'angel eye' lights, but most likely on low for traffic, but I like the side visibility offered by them.

They look tiny. I've got a Yinding 2 x U2 and that's diddy, but it doesn't half kick out some light - I use that on the MTB.

gt-arrowhead

I need some lights for commuting, the old bill will not be too impressed with me having no lights, and more importantly, i dont want to get run over!

I was going to get a bike computer but getting lights is more important.

Would people approve of these?

Front
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-CREE-Q5-LE ... 3f2b557baf

Back
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-5-LED-2-L ... 4d15a27936

Dont want nothing special really.

Ouija

Depends if you just want lights so that other people can see you or lights that allow you to see. Q5's are good for the former but not the latter. Especially on AAA batteries.