Phillips Saferide 80 - Red light whilst charging

daniel_b

Afternoon,

bought a couple of these from Rose, last year or the year before, I forget now - all had been fine, but unless I just haven't noticed before, when I charge them they start on amber as normal, and I thought just went green when fully charged, but on both, I am now seeing it go red.
Is this a specifically bad sign, or that the battery is on it's way out\gone?

Not had a chance to monitor actual length of output time yet, as only saw it for the first time last night.

Both lights seemed reasonably warm as well, but perhaps I just haven't noticed it before.

meanredspider

Funny you should say this because I've got the same thing. Does the DFU say anything? I'll look on-line

ic.

Mine has been doing the same thing for a couple of weeks. I've have already replaced the batteries in mine, about 3 months ago.

I've also found that if I unplug when it goes red and re-plug back in, it charges again for a while longer - doing this seems to extend battery life as the first few times it went red I thought it was "done" and un-plugged

So rather than plug an leave, I now revisit every few hours to unplug and plug back in

daniel_b

Spooky......

I found this thread which suggests it might be batteries: http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=81972

Oh and one of them also started turning off after about 2 seconds, though after a bit of a charge until it became red, it seemed to be ok.

IC. wrote:

Mine has been doing the same thing for a couple of weeks. I've have already replaced the batteries in mine, about 3 months ago.

I've also found that if I unplug when it goes red and re-plug back in, it charges again for a while longer - doing this seems to extend battery life as the first few times it went red I thought it was "done" and un-plugged

So rather than plug an leave, I now revisit every few hours to unplug and plug back in

That's not very helpful is it :-(

Looks like it was October 14 I ordered, so only some 16 months old. Wonder if it is just a 1 year guarantee.

On this: http://www.support.philips.com/pageitems/master/countries/GB/UK_Warranty_Terms.pdf
At the bottom it suggests to me that it may well have a 2 year guarantee - Just sent a message to Rose to see what they have to say, will update when they come back to me.

meanredspider

Philips normally have a 2-year guarantee

daniel_b

Blimey, they have already replied with a returns form, and a link to print out a postage paid label.

Not sure whether to send them straight back or see if it is something silly I can fix.

I have a few other front lights I can use over a couple of bikes, so not wholly reliant on these, would be dissapointed if they just refunded me though, and I didn't get the lights back (I appreciate they may have some permanent issue), as the light pattern is superb.

meanredspider

They are generally pretty good.

As an ex-Philips employee, I can probably get an inside line to someone if it doesn't turn out how you'd like. I did my AD6 ride with the Philips Lighting team and my ex-boss now works there.

daniel_b

Thanks MRS, appreciate the offer.

I'm currently running one light down and seeing how long it lasts for, I'll then try a full recharge, probably at work so I can monitor it constantly, and see how it behaves.

I'll mail them and tell them I am just carrying out a couple of tests.

Maybe it was just a glitch, bizarre how it affected both lights, well the red light anyway, the turning off thing only the one light it seems at present.

I'm also sure I read somewhere after I purchased these, where someone said Phillips had stopped making them as they had had so many issues - I wonder if that is indeed true, as it appears they no longer exist for sale anywhere :-(

meanredspider

When I had issues with mine at first, they just sent me a pack of batteries. It's funny that several of us are experiencing the same thing.

bendertherobot

I wasn't keen on the Philips ones. I had better run time with these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000 ... ge_o05_s00

Initially the light went red. I removed the lead, re inserted, it went green and they charged as normal.

In use they lasted longer than the originals. There's a discussion somewhere on the net about the max mah you can use, some were using higher than this, but these were good.

daniel_b

meanredspider wrote:

When I had issues with mine at first, they just sent me a pack of batteries. It's funny that several of us are experiencing the same thing.

I guess that was a while back, when they were still making it, I wonder if they would bother now, or simply refund them.
I have asked the question of them, thanked them for their exceedingly fast response, and suggested I want to try and discharge and then recharge them first.

bendertherobot wrote:

I wasn't keen on the Philips ones. I had better run time with these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000 ... ge_o05_s00

Initially the light went red. I removed the lead, re inserted, it went green and they charged as normal.

In use they lasted longer than the originals. There's a discussion somewhere on the net about the max mah you can use, some were using higher than this, but these were good.

So did you ever, or have you ever had the issue I have mentioned - either the red light way into the charge, or it turning off?
I see you said you had it when you first put the new batteries in, but I mean after that.

I suppose the likelihood is the batteries are the issue, but spending £26 on 8 new ones, seems reasonably steep when is memory serves they only cost that much each - I have noticed cheaper alternatives at a slightly lower mah for a lot less though, £13.50 for 8 2500mah for example - I notice the stock ones are 2600 however.

I guess though if the issue is either the light itself, or the charging circuit, it could be money down the drain, especially the bit where it switches of after a couple of seconds :shock:

bendertherobot

I can't really remember. I think it was just short(er) run time. But what I do recall was that the replacement batteries were much better.

daniel_b

So fully discharged my light last night, took something like a whopping 5 hours, mixture of high and low, as you know it likes to auto adjust.

Just plugged in now, will see how it goes during the day.
If my desk catches fire - not well.

bendertherobot

Daniel B wrote:

So fully discharged my light last night, took something like a whopping 5 hours, mixture of high and low, as you know it likes to auto adjust.

Just plugged in now, will see how it goes during the day.
If my desk catches fire - not well.

Good news mind. Fire is yellow.

daniel_b

bendertherobot wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

So fully discharged my light last night, took something like a whopping 5 hours, mixture of high and low, as you know it likes to auto adjust.

Just plugged in now, will see how it goes during the day.
If my desk catches fire - not well.

Good news mind. Fire is yellow.

True enough, and warm!


In other news, Rose have replied to say they can't tell what would happen if they were returned, as it is specific to the manufacturer - who has two chances to carry out a repair before refunding or replacing - although in this instance there is no replacing option.

I am hoping the light goes Green by the end of the day!

Mike_L

Out of Interest - how is everyone re-charging this light ?

I bought one back in Oct 2014 - also from Rose & I also had various problems with charging until I spotted recently that you could separate the charger cable from the 2-pin plug & then just use it as a USB cable.

Since then, no problems with mine.

daniel_b

Mike_L wrote:

Out of Interest - how is everyone re-charging this light ?

I bought one back in Oct 2014 - also from Rose & I also had various problems with charging until I spotted recently that you could separate the charger cable from the 2-pin plug & then just use it as a USB cable.

Since then, no problems with mine.

I use a third party charger with a usb socket in it, something like this:


I never even looked at the charger it came with have to be honest.

I haven't had any issues with charging or usage up until this week, and it got hammered last winter.

Nearly 5 hours in, light still orange, so I'm hoping for green by 4........?

daniel_b

And we have a green light, less than 6 hours in, so perhaps just a blip, strange it's for both of them though.
Will try the other one over the weekend, and report back if my findings differ.

meanredspider

I'll have a go with mine. I'm using a Garmin charger.

meanredspider

Mine's gone red again

ETA - Philips got back to me and asked me if it went red after I changed the batteries - do they mean "bought some new ones"? I've asked

daniel_b

Hmmm, light number 1 I took out at the weekend and was fine, light number 2 I completely discharged, recharged, and it went red after about 5 hours.
Unplugged, plugged back in, initially went orange, then red again, so I think that one might need to go back.
Wondering if I should contact Philips directly, or stick to Rose.

porlyworly

How very bizarre, mine has literally started doing the same thing this week and I've used it daily throughout the winter with no issues...

daniel_b

PorlyWorly wrote:

How very bizarre, mine has literally started doing the same thing this week and I've used it daily throughout the winter with no issues...

Was yours a Rose bargain buy as well?

Perhaps it is a battery age thing (Mine had a manufactuer date that I forget on them) and or we have mostly used them about the same amount, and recharged them roughly the same amount of times.

ic.

Daniel B wrote:

PorlyWorly wrote:

How very bizarre, mine has literally started doing the same thing this week and I've used it daily throughout the winter with no issues...

Was yours a Rose bargain buy as well?

Perhaps it is a battery age thing (Mine had a manufactuer date that I forget on them) and or we have mostly used them about the same amount, and recharged them roughly the same amount of times.

Doesn't explain mine with the 2 month old new/replacement batteries though? I'm using Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA 2450mAh btw, incase it's of use. I switched the originals out because I was getting the impression they were not lasting as long as they used to

daniel_b

IC. wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

PorlyWorly wrote:

How very bizarre, mine has literally started doing the same thing this week and I've used it daily throughout the winter with no issues...

Was yours a Rose bargain buy as well?

Perhaps it is a battery age thing (Mine had a manufactuer date that I forget on them) and or we have mostly used them about the same amount, and recharged them roughly the same amount of times.

Doesn't explain mine with the 2 month old new/replacement batteries though? I'm using Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA 2450mAh btw, incase it's of use. I switched the originals out because I was getting the impression they were not lasting as long as they used to

No this is true - perhaps there is a general issue with the charging circuits inside these then :-(

ic.

It would be sad faces all round it if were. It's a great light, only it's looks and weight let it down.

I guess an external charger would solve the issue, but a big pain to remove batteries to charge every time

sswiss

I picked up mine from Rose at the same time as others, it's taken some hammer over the last 2 winters and is still behaving itself, with the caveat that I think the battery life is beginning to wane a little, nothing too dramatic.

I charge it via desktop computer USB, never been an issue. Fingers crossed it stays that way. Good Solid Light.

porlyworly

Yes, Rose bargain.

Quick update on this, rode home about 7pm last night on the dimmer of the two settings as was worried about it cutting out altogether.

Get home & ask the missus what colour the light is (I'm ridiculously colour blind) and she says it's green.

Looks like the light was trolling me as it's on charge again today and has gone green!

Still using the original Philips batteries and they've never let me down (commute every day, 10 miles each way, so it get's used for a decent portion of the year!)

daniel_b

Guys,

one of my two lights is doing this again, and the other one is also not too healthy looking.

Thinking of sending them both back, have another 5 days of warranty!

Has anyone found it is just faulty batteries that are the issue, or does it also seem to be the charging circuit within the light itself?

Rose have also sent me a 10 euro discount code, unrelated, and I notice they have some decent looking lights on there, all be it I know now the pound amount is pretty much the same as the Euro price

https://www.rosebikes.com/article/b---m-b--m-ixon-core-front-light-and-ixxi-diode-back-light-lighting-set/aid:761153

The front on it's own is only 10 Euros less.

https://www.rosebikes.com/article/b--m-ixon-iq-premium-led-light-kit---80-lux-/aid:703616


These are primarily for the school run bike, which has a Moon something or other (The long thin one) on the back, plus a couple of R2's, and has a Lezyne on the front that goes on flash mode, plus usually one of thse Saferide's.
Roads round here are carp, so it's to see as well as to be seen.

DrLex

I had it a couple of times, with both mk 1 & 2 versions; taking the batteries out and putting them on a discharge and recharge cycle on a battery charger (the one tipped on this site) sorted it.

(The mk 1 sometimes, when switching between modes, decides that it's low, but just needs plugging in to "reset" levels. It is 5 years old, so no warranty left, and I just leave it in one mode unless I have a battery pack and cable in my bag.)

prawny

I've got a Trelock LS 950 from Rose last winter, it's pretty good. I generally run it on level 1 at this time of year and the battery lasts over 40 hours on a charge. It'll do 6 hours (I think, can't remember off the top of my head) on full whack which is enough to ride unlit streets by, wouldn't take it off road though.

The battery gauge is a proper digital count down, which I love, although it makes my other rechargable lights seem crap with their vague systems of lights and flashes.

Edit - This one https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/tre ... aid:470889