The big LIGHTS thread 2011-2014
Comments
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This one is bright enough for what you need:
http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650
Get the batteries and charger from Torchy on ebay, he's very helpful and sorted me out0 -
Who is Torchy is he a member on here?0
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I got this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Efest-SODA-ch ... 1442496273?
And these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Torchy-Pan ... 1347884766?
He also does bar and helmet mounts depending on where you want it. I got two torches for my head (1 battery each) And run a magicshine MJ816 on the bars, that's enough to turn night in to day. A single torch should be bright enough for most things0 -
So this arrived a couple of days ago:
http://www.dx.com/p/uniquefire-hd-016-1 ... EA2FcotDIU
and had its first outing last night ...
Initially, when I just tried it in the garden, it seemed good, but I was less convinced on the bike out on the trail. It has one floody head and one spotty head. The floody head gives a good even spread near to the bike, but doesn't really light far enough ahead to be used for anything faster than just pootling. The spot light on its own gives OK range, but is not particularly bright. Both are needed together really, and even then, I found it inadequate as a sole light, to ride quickly. Paired with my MTB Batteries V1 light (which you can't buy anymore, but the details are here: http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/mountain- ... -light-v1/) on my helmet, it was a good combination; the uniquefire gave good near and middle-distance light; the MTB light gives a good distance spot combined with reasonable middle distance spread.
But, I was underwhelmed overall with the light generated by the Uniquefire; I'd been expecting the technology to have moved forward significantly in the 3 years since I bought my MTB Batteries light (paid £60 at the time for it), and had hoped that the Uniquefire, at £25 would be both better and cheaper ...
The 2 guys I was riding with last night have also recently got new lights; one has the Magicshine MJ 880U (I think), reviewed here: http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/categ ... -13-47626/, which, given its price, was significantly better. The other has just got a solarstorm; which had greater mid-long range punch (than my uniquefire), although less near flood.
BUT ... my main issue with the Uniquefire was that the battery lasted less than 1.5 hours riding time. Its advertised on the website as having a runtime of 2-3 hours (and on the box, it says 240 minutes on full brightness! :shock: ) I know the claims are likely to be overstated, but I don't run my lights full all the time, always switching them down for road sections, or sections of trail that are level and straight, so was expecting to get 2+ hours, when in fact I got 1.25 - 1.5 hours tops. My mate who has the Solarstorm (which seems to be a similar spec'd and priced light) has managed 2+ hours on several occasions, and he turns his down far less often than I do when on the move)
So, what do the experts on here think ... does 1.5 hours sound about right, and I'm just expecting too much? Or does mine sound duffer than it should be?
I wondered whether the rain had got in (it was a sh***y night out last night .. but good fun!
), but the battery pack has a sealed rubber waterproof cover; the connector has a click and screw-barrel that goes over it, and when I got home, the battery pack immediately started charging, and the head unit worked with another battery pack, so don't think it was that.
I guess the batteries are not the best, but having read on here, and having purchased from DX, thought that the Uniquefire batteries would be better than some?
Also, in the past, I've had other cheap chargers that I've suspected haven't given the battery pack a full charge, leading to shorter run times than expected; could this be a reason? Do new batteries need a few charges in order to get up to full working capacity ... or am I clutching at straws here? :oops:
Would be interested in people's views on all of the above. I'm going to give the light / battery pack one more chance, but if it runs for no longer, I don't know whether to send the whole thing back and ask for a refund, or just ask for a replacement battery pack. If I do the former, then I'm back into the endless indecisiveness I've had for months, about what to get instead ... do I go £20ish and chance a Solarstorm, £30ish for the Trustfire one that Ouja has recommended for ages, or save up and go for something like the MTB Batteries Lumentator or the Magicshine linked to above???0 -
I know from the two packs that came with my Trustfire that you can easily get between 2.40 to 3.00 hours runtime on a four cell pack with twin head lights like that. However, as mentioned by myself and Torchy elsewhere, the quality of four cell packs coming out of China with these ultra low priced lights is astonishingly bad. Even the aftermarket replacement battery packs from Kaidomain and Lightmalls are pretty atrocious. Which is why it's better to try and get hold of just the head unit and buy/make your own battery pack from somewhere else.
It wasn't always the case. A few years ago the quality of Chinese packs was acceptable, if not outstanding.0 -
Hiya, apologies in advance if im going over old ground here...but: how does the Trustfire TR-D002 compare to the SolarStormx2? I was kinda ready to order one then i came across this: http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-rid ... 72323.html
Basically this guy didnt rate it...
So im starting to think SSx2 plus alternative battery, and having a good stock of old Sony 18650s i thought this was perfect: http://www.dx.com/p/pannovo-b-c04-water ... ack-254957 - but everwhere (Aliexpress, DX etc..) is sold out!! Has anyone managed to track them down?
Any other reliable battery options?
Cheers!0 -
2 of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-2S2P-7-4V ... 58b5e42d4e
and wire them in parallel with a removable spade plug or something to get around the 2A pcb limit. Alternatively go for 1 and bypass the PCB if needed, but better to try to work with it if you can.
You'll need a charger too.0 -
Ok, I get that poor quality batteries will affect the runtime (but would have thought runtime should at least approximate to what is claimed!) Would poor batteries also affect light output / brightness? If I get a better battery pack, am I likely to get a better / brighter light with the same head unit? Or should I just return the whole lot and get something else?
Figured that buying from Dealextreme would be OK; thought their reputation was reasonably good?? Or is that just on the better lights, eg Magicshine?
I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but would people recommend the solarstorm x2, or the trustfire tr D002 as a budget-ish alternative? I know there seem to be many versions of the solarstorm; can someone send me a link to a version that works well, and has decent runtimes?
Alternatively, a good twin head unit and a separate good battery pack, for a total of less than £40-£50?
Thanks0 -
I agree, the battery packs are getting worse. In the last year it has been very noticable.
It is 'only' outputting 1100 lumens and in a flood, so may not appear to have much of a punch. It is deliberately throttled back. A better battery will not affect brightness, that is governed by the driver in there.
PS the Solarstorm is also floody, and about 1200 lumens.0 -
At the end of the day these are budget lights that put out the same sort of light as the expensive Lezyne/Hope boutique lights but at the price point and build quality of the sort of lights you'd buy from Halfords or you local bike shop (ie: cheap, dim, plasticky). If you get a few years use out of them before they fail then that's fine by me as i look at them as being disposable (i'll of moved onto the next big thing by then, anyways).
As for the Solarstorm X2 vs Trustfire debate. I think the Solarstorm is the better head unit but the Trustfire is the better all round package (really good battery, mount and remote switch). As for brightness, Torchy did a comparison between the two.......
SolarStorm X2
"At he time of writing, these are selling for under £20 without battery or charger. The sample I tried came with a battery and charger, both very poor quality. I reckon it would be cheaper to go for the Torchy Oriole/Trustfire 2x T6 which is similar in size and performance." Torchy..
Trustfire x2
"At around £60, it gives better illumination than the Exposure Race or Hope Vision 2 and still leaves £100+ in your pocket." Torchy.
If the Trustfire is underpowered then so is the SolarStorm as there really isn't much difference in output between the two. Certainly bright enough for the average user who isn't entering night competitions etc.
Yes, the Trustfire does have rings in the beam. But you only notice them when pointing it at a perfectly white painted wall, not when your pointing at actual multicoloured scenery (look at the pic above.. can you see the rings?). I did have a problem with pulling one of the wires off the circuit board because it was cold soldered on. But that's because i had the light in bits and was actually tugging on the wires (something the average user wouldn't be doing).
I actually did my own unscientific tests earlier in this thread.
XM-L T6 502 Torch
Trustfire X2
XM-L T6 502 Torch on wet/dry patchy forest road...
Trustfire X2 on same road, photo taken a few seconds apart.
Notice the wider spot and more flood (the torch has more throw if you aim it down the road)
Another patchy wet/dry road with the Torch..
And with the Trusfire....
Again, more floody and you don't notice the rings in a real world environment.
For a budget conscious solution they work well enough for most people. Only the people who really need the best (higher quality, after sales service etc) and don't mind the expense should go for the high priced boutique options (some of which aren't as well made or reliable as you may think).0 -
Helpful stuff - cheers guys.
Have now opened a ticket (?) with DX to get a return and refund on the Uniquefire ...
Where else can you get the Trustfire TR-D002 other than Kaidomain? Not impressed with their website, and they don't quote a runtime. I take on board Ouja's recommendation, but would rather not order from overseas again, would prefer to go for a UK seller.
If Torchy's Oriole is basically the same light, then will probably order from him - he does commit to a runtime of 2.5 hours, which is good enough for me ... and also commits to an unconditional "anyone not impressed can send it back for a full refund" guarantee ... at £40, seems like a no-brainer.
So, is it enough light to ride with on its own? I don't intend to, as I have 3 other single-head crees to choose from to go on the lid, but I guess I'm trying to use it as a yardstick; the first MTB night light I bought was the MTB Batteries V1 (which is still by far the best light of the three I have); it is powerful enough to ride with on its own if need be, so I guess I want to be sure I'm getting something that is at least as good, ideally with more flood, but with sufficient distance to be able to ride fast!
I might be tempted to save up and go for the Torchy BK2200. Twice the price, but a nice Christmas present, and would seem to be a competitor to something like the Magicshine MJ 880?
Decisions ... :roll: :roll:0 -
The only important factor is to get a decent LED at a decent driven amps. Then its down to power reliability and design. There really isn't that much difference between an XM-L2 in one head vs another at the same amps. Don't fool yourself that you are somehow getting quality by spending more. There are some good pack suppliers, but the light heads are all much of a muchness. LED, diver, switch and reflector, the rest is design.0
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Wow, great replies as ever! But im just wondering, is this Oriole from Torchy and the TR-D002 the same light? I just ask because the former seems to have T6 emitters, the latter xm-l2...im sure theyre both great lights but im just curious...!
Cheers0 -
The pictures are identical, the Oriole may be an earlier version of the TR-D002, or maybe a clone(probably more likely)neilus wrote:Wow, great replies as ever! But im just wondering, is this Oriole from Torchy and the TR-D002 the same light? I just ask because the former seems to have T6 emitters, the latter xm-l2...im sure theyre both great lights but im just curious...!
Cheers0 -
I have been using two sets of two 18650 batteries - one set blue Ultrafire (that came with a T6 torch) and the other Senybors from TorchyBoy eBay. The Ultrafires are about three years old and the Senybors two. Both sets still work fine in the two torches I run, no noticeable change in brightness nor run times - but - the Senybors are taking about twice as long to charge as they used to. I didn't record it accurately but last year they took about 3-4 hours to charge after my commute, this year it's taking nearer 8! It's the same Intellicore i4 charger as previous years so nothing at all has changed on the set up except everything is one year older.
Is the slower charging something to worry about (other than being inconvenient) is it a sign of age or impending failure? Should I be shopping for replacements?
Appreciate any advice anyone has.0 -
neilus wrote:Wow, great replies as ever! But im just wondering, is this Oriole from Torchy and the TR-D002 the same light? I just ask because the former seems to have T6 emitters, the latter xm-l2...im sure theyre both great lights but im just curious...!
Cheers
I often wondered that. On his revue he shows the light with no marking on it at all, but on his recommended lights page he's showing the Trustfire (with the logo of a owl that is also cyclist on the top).
I doubt it's a clone. As with all Torchy branded stuff he probably just cut a deal with the original manufacturer who makes lights for various brands and had them stick his logo on it. This is not uncommon in business. You'd be suprised how many companies don't make their own product but simply subcontract manufacturing out to various other companies with the necessary production facilities (do you think Ibanez make guitars? Heinz make baked beans? or McDonalds make chips).0 -
What are your thoughts on the c and b seen commuter light set 75 quid.?0
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A lot of the chinese companies will white label or drop ship a product for you. Your branding, your logos etc. You make your markup register a ltd company and set up you little company out of the back bedroom in your 2 bed semi.
The C&B Seen light is £75 quid for a £12 T6, and an interesting rear light which uses 2 XM-L2 LEDs. But they are powered with a single CR123 cell at 1mAh. Rear lights don't need to be that bright - a couple of 1w flashers running on AAAs is more than enough. Lastly we have the benefits of a UK source. If the power pack fails (which is normally the weak link) you can at least take it back to the seller.
Or you could if they didn't specifically exclude batteries from the 2 year warranty (just 6 months).0 -
diy wrote:A lot of the chinese companies will white label or drop ship a product for you. Your branding, your logos etc. You make your markup register a ltd company and set up you little company out of the back bedroom in your 2 bed semi.
The C&B Seen light is £75 quid for a £12 T6, and an interesting rear light which uses 2 XM-L2 LEDs. But they are powered with a single CR123 cell at 1mAh. Rear lights don't need to be that bright - a couple of 1w flashers running on AAAs is more than enough. Lastly we have the benefits of a UK source. If the power pack fails (which is normally the weak link) you can at least take it back to the seller.
Or you could if they didn't specifically exclude batteries from the 2 year warranty (just 6 months).
Kind of what i was thinking, do like the idea of saving some money, have been reading through this thread with interest, but very confusing.
If i was wanting to buy bar mounted lights as a complete set, chargers etc, where would the best place to buy from and more importantly which set.0 -
Yup, someone told me that a lot of the thermal/baselayer stuff all comes from the same place - so a shipment of tops go to the Mammut factory, get branded and go on sale for 60 quid; and another batch goes to the Crane factory and end up in Aldi for 15. Id like to think its true!
Found the TR-D002 here, $35:
http://www.shenzhen-wholesale.com/2000l ... u9347.html
Any reason it might not be legit? I dunno, the website just looks a bit naff...
little wiser, what do you need a light for?
Cheers!0 -
little wiser wrote:If i was wanting to buy bar mounted lights as a complete set, chargers etc, where would the best place to buy from and more importantly which set.
Battery is still the big problem with light "sets" - prices have been falling at the expense of quality cells in the pack.
Personally I think you can't beat the 501b with a bar mount, some quality jap 18650s and charger from a reputable seller. Lights from lightmalls, 18650s out of a laptop (ebay or cupboard) mount where ever, charger torchy or ebay.
I have to say my crappy OEM charger which everyone trashes is still going strong after 4 years. though I've had others die. I also have 5 year old 501b with XR-E LEDs still going strong.
I do the red balloon thing for a rear light with them or I used to but now I have "old" T6s for that0 -
Right - having a complete lights rethink and overhaul ...
1. For the MTB
I posted a couple of pages back about my disappointing Uniquefire twin head light:
http://www.dx.com/p/uniquefire-hd-016-1 ... EgaFsotDIU - not impressed with the amount of light provided, and the battery pack lasted less than 90 minutes, not all on full brightness ... so am sending this back. Also, a couple of the battery packs I got with cheap Chinese lights 2-3 years ago are giving low runtimes now (actually, one is dead, following a drenching last week!), so need to rethink battery options for those head units ...
I will likely get the Torchy Oriole 2x
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Torchy-Oriole ... 462a119ccd
(or the Trustfire TR D002 (http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S023139) that Ouja keeps recommending ...
However, as I have a charger (a Trustfire one, from Torchy), I am tempted to source some better batteries and make up my own packs, and purchase a solarstorm head unit on its own, eg like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5000lm-SolarS ... 27e7126e31 - is this the cheapest for a good solarstorm head unit, or are there others, but with similar quality?
I don't want to spend more than a total of £40/£50 on a decent twin head light and decent battery option, so if I go down this route (rather than the Trustfire TR D002 / Torchy Oriole option), can anyone recommend me either:
a.) a reasonable quality battery pack for around £20 that I can just hook up to the Solarstorm head unit? I know that Torchy does a reasonable pack for £30, but this is maybe a bit more than I want to spend. Ouja - do you know whether you can get the same trustfire battery packs that come with the TR 002, separately?
or
b.) some good quality batteries, and a waterproof battery box / container (with the connectors and leads already in place; I don't want to be soldering my own battery packs!). Someone recommended this a few pages back:
http://www.banggood.com/Solarstorm-BC-0 ... 24962.html, but they're sold out atm - anyone got links to something similar?
Or is my £40 better spend just buying the Trustfire/Torchy combo?
2. For the Commuter bike
Don't need as much light. Enough to be seen, and enough for occasional sections of unlit road / cycle path / towpath, so probably 800ish + Lumens? Ideally, would like to keep the overall budget under £20 if possible, certainly under £30.
Options are:
1. Something compact, preferably a torch I think, and probably only using 1 x 18650 battery. Guess the value option is something like the 501b torch:
http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650, and a couple of good batteries from Torchy? I actually have 4 ultrafire batteries that came with a headtorch last year, so could use those in the meantime.
Are there any other / better torches than this? Ouja- I recall you recommending a very compact light, probably about a year ago, when I was posting asking about headtorches to run (not cycle) off-road at night - can you remember what this was again ... and would it serve as a good commuter?
Would need a good mount for torches - what is recommended?
2. The other alternative - and I'm not really sure I want a light with a separate battery pack on the commuter - would be a very compact single head unit, with maybe a 2 cell battery pack - what are the good options like this out there?
Where possible, I'd like to source from UK suppliers, partly because I want to get this sorted sooner rather than later, and partly because returns should be easier. Its not essential if there are good savings to be had buying from HK / China, but I'd be wanting to buy something with a good reputation if so ...
Cheers,
Kevin0 -
Ouja - how have you found this?
http://www.lightmalls.com/durable-cree- ... lack-color
Looks good as a head only option for the commuter ... but also wondered how it would be as a helmet option for the MTB. What is the 6 cell battery pack like?0 -
If you are going down the Torch route you are pretty safe with the Chinees/Korean sellers. I think you only really get a problem ordering batteries or higher value orders.
Your choice is XM-L2 or XP-L LED the latter being slightly brighter/more efficient and cooler. But might not be worth the extra $5
3 mode
http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S023725
5 mode
http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S023726
http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650
I ordered from light malls last time - better quality than DX and shipped in 3 weeks
Key thing as much as the LED is the Amps of the driver. and both Kaidomain and Lightmall ship with powerful drivers . DX not so much and ebay.. well hard to find XM-L2 or above.0 -
kevinharley wrote:Ouja - how have you found this?
http://www.lightmalls.com/durable-cree- ... lack-color
Looks good as a head only option for the commuter ... but also wondered how it would be as a helmet option for the MTB. What is the 6 cell battery pack like?
I like these (got two). The first i bought with a six cell battery pack that went straight in the bin (that bad), the second i just got the head unit alone for a tenner. No bigger than the head of a 501 torch.
Downsides:
One person said they shorted out the glow ring when they got the head unit wet and water ran down the sides of the vents (never had that problem myself, but i've never been out in a monsoon with them yet).
The upper part of the glow ring can shine in your own eye and be annoying (especially on flash) but you can fix that by putting a small hood made from electrical tape overhanging the front of the light.
The buttons can be fiddly to push as they are almost flush with the casing. Especially if you've got gloves on. I find i have to place two fingers on the front of the light and press the buttons with my thumb nail.0 -
InkZ wrote:I've just ordered a http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171417596413 which Ouija posted above. It looks like just what I need.
I've been running two torches for the last couple of years, but they are annoying me on the bars of my road bike. I hate having to click both buttons when wanting to change brightness, and they get in the way of my cycle computer. I don't have much scope to move them around as my cables are internally routed which means they run flat along the bar before they disappear. They also aren't floody enough so I find myself holding back quite a lot.
This is mainly for use in the forest over the winter. The torches are more than good enough for around the town, in fact I only need the one. They have performed admirably.
I'll report back how I get on.
So I've been using this a couple of weeks and pretty happy with it on the commute, although not tried it out in the forest yet. Unfortunately though, I lost my batteries today, the velcro must have come undone
Any suggestions for a replacement pack? Would like a longer running time, and needs to be waterproof.0 -
Ouija wrote:kevinharley wrote:Ouja - how have you found this?
http://www.lightmalls.com/durable-cree- ... lack-color
Looks good as a head only option for the commuter ... but also wondered how it would be as a helmet option for the MTB.
I like these (got two).
Any good as a helmet torch?
Back to my previous post, been trying to find the waterproof battery boxes (Solarstorm BC-01), but everywhere is either out of stock, or you have to bulk buy. Anyone know where I can get hold of just a couple of these?
Failing that, reasonable battery packs (pref from UK) - would like a couple of 4 packs, and maybe a 2-pack if I'm going to get the light linked to above for my commuter. Ideally don't want to spend more than £15-£25 per pack. (and needs to be waterproof!)
Cheers0 -
diy wrote:If you are going down the Torch route you are pretty safe with the Chinees/Korean sellers. I think you only really get a problem ordering batteries or higher value orders.
Your choice is XM-L2 or XP-L LED the latter being slightly brighter/more efficient and cooler. But might not be worth the extra $5
3 mode
http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S023725
5 mode
http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S023726
http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650
I ordered from light malls last time - better quality than DX and shipped in 3 weeks
Key thing as much as the LED is the Amps of the driver. and both Kaidomain and Lightmall ship with powerful drivers . DX not so much and ebay.. well hard to find XM-L2 or above.
Thanks DIY - may still go down this route for the commuter. Are there similar lights, but smaller / shorter? 13.5 cm seems quite long for my drop bars.
Also ... link to a good mount for torches please.
Thanks0 -
Ok just firing this out, I have a few of these external iPhone batteries which are very handy:
http://www.ebay.at/itm/15000mAh-Externa ... 2c8ed9575c
Providing you had the right connecting cable, could these be used to power lights, and if so would they be any good? Thought it might be worth bringing up as we all seem to be trying to figure out what batteries to use!
Cheers0 -
You'll find 18650 batteries inside those IPhone powerbanks. But, because they are USB, they only put out 5v at 1amp whereas most lights want either 4.2v or 8.4v at considerably more amps. Could run a single XM-L emitter at 5v and 1amp but wouldn't be much brighter than a 501/502 style torch on medium/low.0
