The big LIGHTS thread 2011-2014

neilus

Ah ok thanks Ouija, much obliged!

diy

I just noticed DX have a charger + panasonic 18650 + and some reasonable 501bs in EU

But they are available with charger in EU for faster shipping here:

http://eud.dx.com/product/ultrafire-wf- ... E9n-RBolEY

http://eud.dx.com/product/enb-enb-3-5v- ... E9nUBBolEY

If you order 3 lights - all you need is mounts and tbh innertube and insulation foam works fine.

3 loops of MTB Innertube looped together + one to stop them chaffing your bars:

kingofthetailwind

The two nylon pouches I have for frame mounting 4x18650 battery packs have fallen apart. Any alternatives, apart from top tube bags? (Hate the look of them!)

diy

Water bottle

porlyworly

Bought one of these a year ago and only got around to using it today, roughly how long should it take to charge two 18650's via the usb port on the front of my work PC? Are we talking days?!?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5V-2A-Mobile- ... 338ef2e991

allthegearnoidea

Mine took forever to charge via usb on the comuter, chucked it on the phone charger and was very quick,

porlyworly

Good thinking Batman, will try plugging it into the mains via the phone charger see if that makes a difference.

Other bizarre thing is when I press the test button on the side, both the blue and red lights come on, indicating the battery on charge is both almost full and almost empty of charge

john2002

PorlyWorly wrote:

Bought one of these a year ago and only got around to using it today, roughly how long should it take to charge two 18650's via the usb port on the front of my work PC? Are we talking days?!?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5V-2A-Mobile- ... 338ef2e991

most pc/laptop USB output about 0.5A so a single 2.5 amp(2500mAh) battery should take about 5hours and 2 should take about 10 hours.
if your using a mobile phone/tablet USB charger you could have upto 2amp output, so it would only take about 2-3hours to charge 2 battiers.

nfrang

diy wrote:

I just noticed DX have a charger + panasonic 18650 + and some reasonable 501bs in EU

But they are available with charger in EU for faster shipping here:

http://eud.dx.com/product/ultrafire-wf- ... E9n-RBolEY

I just got that same 501b from dx (not eu dx) arrived in 16 days! However the quality isn't great but given it was less than £6 I took the risk anyway. Using Torchy 3100mah button top it flickers a fair bit switches between modes and seems to be pretty unusable.
I got 2 Ultrafire zoomables from Mighty lights on ebay and the quality is way better. I've read people having loads of problems with 501's. What's normally the issue? The endcap/clicky seems cheaper than the zoomables having a spring against the battery rather than a pin.

diy

There is no such thing as a standard 501. I have about a dozen or so and they all have different end caps and some even have different tubes.

Just make sure everything is tight as per my vid and the flicker and mode change will stop. The fault is between driver and switch not driver and LED. Its going to be easy to fix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJpQAvu ... IoUqmcMg0f

Personally I found the lightmalls 501s better than the DX ones as they ran at higher amps.

kingofthetailwind

diy wrote:

Water bottle

Genius, thanks.

richk

diy wrote:

There is no such thing as a standard 501. I have about a dozen or so and they all have different end caps and some even have different tubes.

Just make sure everything is tight as per my vid and the flicker and mode change will stop. The fault is between driver and switch not driver and LED. Its going to be easy to fix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJpQAvu ... IoUqmcMg0f

Personally I found the lightmalls 501s better than the DX ones as they ran at higher amps.

I can vouch for DIYs video. I was about to give up on my pair of 501 but then followed his suggestions & they've now been running happily for several winters.

nfrang

diy wrote:

Just make sure everything is tight as per my vid and the flicker and mode change will stop. The fault is between driver and switch not driver and LED. Its going to be easy to fix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJpQAvu ... IoUqmcMg0f

Thanks. Great vid. Everything seems tight except the battery itself rattling around so I'll get that taped up.

Mainly using for commute on unlit road but I do want a quality torch for venturing offroad. Spotted one reviewed well on budgetlightforums and it's not the cheapest at £18 but logic being 'buy once'. Claimed 1125lm in XM-L2 U2 guise and can choose the clicky type as I don't want flash/strobe mode. Any thoughts?

http://intl-outdoor.com/xintd-c8-v5-xml2-t6u2-multioption-18650-flashlight-p-308.html

diy

Its a C8 bigger head doesn't mean better beam. but and yeah I get that its annoying to have SOS and strobe on a torch, particularly when the 3 mode ones only have hi Lo and strobe.

Ouija

Just noticed DX doing these lights with a power bank style battery pack capable of 4 amp output.




not the brightest light out there but the remote switch and battery look interesting,...

Probably make a good commuting light.

I guess the advantage of a battery pack like that is that as well as doubling up as a decent power source for the light it could also power your phone and other devices as well, making it something that could become a permanent fixture on your bike, not just something you occasionally strap on when the nights get darker.

Most regular power banks don't do more than 1 amp output (2 on some) which makes them ok for powering smartphones etc, but a bit rubbish for powering decent lights.

wishitwasallflat

wishitwasallflat wrote:

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.

Don't mean to be rude but was it becuase this question was just so stupid that no one answered? Apologies if it was but I did search here and on web but couldn't find an answer before posting.

diy

Its probably due to them taking longer to get to stage 1 of the charging state. I'm assuming run times are the same? if you have a volt meter you can check them pre & post charge. Given your ultrafires are almost certainly old cells from new - they will have already dropped off some time ago.

wishitwasallflat

Thanks DIY yes run times are unchanged (as far as I can see). I pretty much only use them for my commute which is about 80-90 mins each way. Neither pair has ever coped with the return journey so I've always used one pair each way and recharged both for the next day. They've always been fine for that and I can see no change other than how long the Senybors take to charge. Don't have a volt meter though so can't check that.

I dont reckon either set owe me much so no tears if I have to get new ones. My question was largely motivated by wanting to know if this is how these batteries fail and not wanting to outright waste money than worrying about having to replace these.

PS Is TorchyBoy ebay still the safest/ most reliable place to buy 18650s?

cooldad

Plenty of people sell genuine batteries, but plenty also sell nasty fakes. I trust his are the real thing so stick with him.

mtbjunkie08

Is this a relatively decent light/price?: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraF ... 5afc98106a

I wanted to go with a torch because dont want to carry sperate battery pack and also would prefer UK based seller.

lugsey2k5

Sorry, reading through this thread im struggling to find what i need.
Firstly,
Im after a bar mounted flood light for off road MTB use for around the £40 mark although i can go higher if its worth it including battery and charger.Heard solarstorm and trustfire twinhead mentioned alot
Secondly
My cheap DX light's battery pack which has lasted several years died today so im also looking for a new battery pack for that.This is simialr to what i havehttp://www.dx.com/p/t6-waterproof-xml-t6-3-mode-1200-lumen-white-led-bike-light-with-battery-pack-set-82510#.VFJigfl_uE4

Thanks for any help guys,

Ian Ellwood

nfrang

mtbjunkie08 wrote:

Is this a relatively decent light/price?: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraF ... 5afc98106a

I wanted to go with a torch because dont want to carry sperate battery pack and also would prefer UK based seller.

That seller is actually in China. If you click on the seller name it takes you to the profile where it says China even though item location says UK. There's a few like that on ebay I've noticed. Bit sneaky if you ask me. Might have problems shipping batteries afaik.

cooldad

nfrang wrote:

mtbjunkie08 wrote:

Is this a relatively decent light/price?: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraF ... 5afc98106a

I wanted to go with a torch because dont want to carry sperate battery pack and also would prefer UK based seller.

That seller is actually in China. If you click on the seller name it takes you to the profile where it says China even though item location says UK. There's a few like that on ebay I've noticed. Bit sneaky if you ask me. Might have problems shipping batteries afaik.

As you can get express delivery by Monday, it's more likely they're already here and it's a drop shipping arrangement.

mtbjunkie08

nfrang wrote:

mtbjunkie08 wrote:

Is this a relatively decent light/price?: <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraFire-CREE-XML-T6-LED-C8-Flashlight-Torch-5-Mode-And-18650-Battery-UK-/390784880746?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&var=&hash=item5afc98106a&quot; class="skimlinks-unlinked" data-skimwords-word="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2F2000LM-UltraFire-CREE-XML-T6-LED-C8-Flashlight-Torch-5-Mode-And-18650-Battery-UK-%2F390784880746%3Fpt%3DUK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches%26var%3D%26hash%3Ditem5afc98106a" data-skim-creative="500005" title="">http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraFire-CREE-XML-T6-LED-C8-Flashlight-Torch-5-Mode-And-18650-Battery-UK-/390784880746?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&var=&hash=item5afc98106a</a&gt;

I wanted to go with a torch because dont want to carry sperate battery pack and also would prefer UK based seller.

That seller is actually in China. If you click on the seller name it takes you to the profile where it says China even though item location says UK. There's a few like that on <span class="skimwords-potential">ebay</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> I've noticed. Bit sneaky if you ask me. Might have problems shipping batteries afaik.

cooldad wrote:

nfrang wrote:

mtbjunkie08 wrote:

Is this a relatively decent light/price?: <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraFire-CREE-XML-T6-LED-C8-Flashlight-Torch-5-Mode-And-18650-Battery-UK-/390784880746?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&var=&hash=item5afc98106a&quot; class="skimlinks-unlinked" data-skimwords-word="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2F2000LM-UltraFire-CREE-XML-T6-LED-C8-Flashlight-Torch-5-Mode-And-18650-Battery-UK-%2F390784880746%3Fpt%3DUK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches%26var%3D%26hash%3Ditem5afc98106a" data-skim-creative="500005" title="">http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraFire-CREE-XML-T6-LED-C8-Flashlight-Torch-5-Mode-And-18650-Battery-UK-/390784880746?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&var=&hash=item5afc98106a</a&gt;

I wanted to go with a torch because dont want to carry sperate battery pack and also would prefer UK based seller.

That seller is actually in China. If you click on the seller name it takes you to the profile where it says China even though item location says UK. There's a few like that on <a href="http://ebay.co.uk&quot; class="skimwords-link" target="_blank" data-skimwords-id="874161" data-skimlinks-editor="0" data-skimwords-word="ebay" data-group-id="0" data-skim-creative="300001" data-skim-product="874161" title="" occurrence="1" data-skim-node-id="274:Thatsellerisactually_1">ebay</a><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> I've noticed. Bit sneaky if you ask me. Might have problems shipping batteries afaik.

As you can get express delivery by Monday, it's more likely they're already here and it's a drop shipping arrangement.

Thanks for the feedback guys, i'll perhaps message them before purchasing to check location of actual item. However, what do you think of the light itself?

cooldad

I prefer the 502b shape, seller is registered in the UK, less exaggeration, first class post and you can pick up at Argos if you want.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-ULTRAFIRE ... 339254098a

nfrang

cooldad wrote:

nfrang wrote:

mtbjunkie08 wrote:

Is this a relatively decent light/price?: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000LM-UltraF ... 5afc98106a

I wanted to go with a torch because dont want to carry sperate battery pack and also would prefer UK based seller.

That seller is actually in China. If you click on the seller name it takes you to the profile where it says China even though item location says UK. There's a few like that on ebay I've noticed. Bit sneaky if you ask me. Might have problems shipping batteries afaik.

As you can get express delivery by Monday, it's more likely they're already here and it's a drop shipping arrangement.

He cropped up quite a bit when I was looking for torches recently. Terrible feedback and 6800 items for sale. It's China.
Plenty of good uk sellers.

mtbjunkie08

cooldad wrote:

I prefer the 502b shape, seller is registered in the UK, less exaggeration, first class post and you can pick up at Argos if you want.

<a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-ULTRAFIRE-WF-502B-LED-FLASHLIGHT-TORCH-LAMP-TACTICAL-ALUMINIUM-CREE-XM-L-T6-/221498313098?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item339254098a&quot; class="skimlinks-unlinked" data-skimwords-word="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2FNEW-ULTRAFIRE-WF-502B-LED-FLASHLIGHT-TORCH-LAMP-TACTICAL-ALUMINIUM-CREE-XM-L-T6-%2F221498313098%3Fpt%3DUK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches%26hash%3Ditem339254098a" data-skim-creative="500005" title="">http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-ULTRAFIRE-WF-502B-LED-FLASHLIGHT-TORCH-LAMP-TACTICAL-ALUMINIUM-CREE-XM-L-T6-/221498313098?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item339254098a</a&gt;

Thanks this seller looks good. Can you recommend what batteries, charger and bar mount to get?

nfrang

mtbjunkie08 wrote:

Thanks this seller looks good. Can you recommend what batteries, charger and bar mount to get?

You won't go far wrong with batteries and charger from Torchy or maybe here Not used this seller but seems to have all the bracket choices covered.

diy

I prefer the 501b/502b (almost identical) over the C8. The C8 has a biggrer head and is a bit heavier. It actually makes bugger all difference to the way the light is cast as the LED is so small it hardly touches the reflector of the C8.

Ultrafire cells : Avoid they'll get you started but thats it. No idea what is inside them. Seybors are fine but also prone to faking. If you can find them get Panasonic. I posted a link a few pages back to a DX (EU warehouse) that had a USB power pack charger with 3 Panasonic 3Ah cells for £20. They also had XM-L2 501bs in the EU warehouse too. DX probably aren't selling fake panasonics.

I still find the best source of cells and value is inside a laptop battery (buy genuine D*ell, Lenovo etc) can be had on ebay for around £5 and will normally have 6 decent 2.5Ah+ cells in. Importantly they will operate at 2.5Ah running at 2-3A, which plenty wont.

abulabas

hi guys
can u reccommend me some normall nigth lights for bycicle? i ride at night so need some good ones
i can buy it from amazon or ebay only
:)thanks