# Review of Ebay: 1800 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp



## spartacus001

*Review of Ebay: 1800 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bicycle HeadLight Lamp*

My first light review:

*Advertised Specs:*
*Emitter Type:* XML T6 LED Output 1800 lumens
*Modes:* High / Low / Strobe (high) with no memory
*Run Time:* 180 minutes on High 
*Battery pack:* 1 x 8.4v Li-Ion 6400mAh Battery Pack
*Battery Charger:* 115v with LED indication for Charging (Red) / Full charge (Green)
*Power Warning:* Red Low Power behind tail click 
*Helmet Strap:* O-ring mount
*Head dimension:* Light 43mm DIA
*Weight:* 118g (lamp head) 200gm battery pack : Total 318gm 

My lighting needs for city commuting at night has always been adequate using a cheap handlebar mounted light. However due to a change in my route I now ride about 10km on paved trials where there is no lighting whatsoever. Ebay offered many of options ranging from cheap flashers to a high end NiteRider Pro kit. I needed robust and bright enough for commuting that wasn’t going to cost me a arm and a leg. So I decided to try out one of the Chinese vendors who offered a hard-to-believe 1800 Lumen kit for under $60. I believe this light is a version of the popular Magic Shine lighting system.

I knew that an output of 1800 Lumen was impossible with the XML T6 with the advertised setup. Still, I figured if the output was half it was still worth $60. After I ordering the light I was expecting it to take at least 4 weeks to arrive from China but I was pleasantly surprised to find it in my mailbox after 7 working days. Apparently the particular vendor operated out of Hong Kong so the shipping time was cut by 1/3rd. 

*Kit Contents*









The kit came in a small box which contained the lamp, battery/charge, 2-Orings, Helmet strap/adapter, battery holder. At first sight the body was machined well with matt black anodizing. I was actually surprised with the quality of the workmanship. No burs, machine marks nor blotchy finishing. The threads were smooth and fitting was tight. The Aluminium reflector had a smooth finish instead of the Orange peel texture that was pictured in the ad. The LED was mounted on the board with a large heat-sink which threaded into the body. There was plenty of room in the housing for heat dissipation. The crowned Bezel has 6-points with a nice satin brushed finish. Under the glass lens there is a GITD (Glow in the Dark) silicon O-ring and silicon rubber tail cap. The tailcap switch is a reverse clicky with a LED battery indicator behind it. 


















There were no markings on the board that indicated that the emmitter was actually the newest T6 but based on the pattern of the emitter (7-bar grid pattern) and the production date of 20110901 I'm pretty certain it's a XML. I was happy to see a nice blob of thermal paste for heat transfer. On the board all the the solder joints were clean. 









The battery pack appears to be 4 x18650 linked in series and bundled in heat shrink. It's hard to tell if these are protected cells and I didn't want to take off the heat shrink. The cable and connectors pushed together snugly but they lack weather sealed caps which would have been nice. When I plugged in the light I was surprised to find the the batteries already charged. I put it on a volt meter and it measured 7.9V on the 3rd charge. Not the advertised 8.4V. Maybe it needs a break in time <?>

*** Update ***
*Burn Time* 
On the 4th full charge the battery reached 8.27V in just over 6hrs. The charger was warm but the battery remained cool the entire time. 

High: 185 mins.
A full 3+ hours exceeded my expectations. But the lamp got hot after running for 10mins. It was hot enough that I couldn't hold on to it for more then 30seconds. The battery was at normal indoor temperature (22 degrees). I ended up placing the lamp head in between an aluminium sliding door frame to help dissipate the heat. 
The backlit switch remained green the entire time with no low battery warning light. 

Low: testing in progress
Strobe: in progress

*Beam Shots*
The beam was very bright but I don’t have a light meter to measure it. The beam is very bright with a hot center with wide spillage. There are some small artifacts in the spot but not very noticable. It has excellent throw qualities but this is not ideal for a bike light. Comparing the beam side-by-side with my EagleTac P20A2 (which pumps out about 220Lm) this light seemed at least twice as bright. 








*LEFT: Comparion to an EagleTac P20A2 with Sanyo Eneloops AAs. Spot lens on High.*

*Wide Angle Lens*
Definitely a wider flood pattern is need for commuting. I decided to replace the stock lens with an aftermarket wide angle lens from Ebay. The Action Light lens was shipped out very quickly. Thanks Jim. It converted the 10 degree spot beam to a 10 degree high by 30 degree wide flood light. The beam pattern is rectangular in shape.

















*Light comparions: Wall light is a CFL 40W Equivalent. The Garage light is a CFL 100 W Equivalent * Compared to car headlights it is easily on par with BMW or Lexus HIDs 
I like the volume of light but would have much prefered a warmer light. I find the warmer temperatures giving an more accurate depth perception i.e. better CRI (Color rendering index)

This might be a DIY project for later (if I find the time to learn how to replace it with a Warmer T5 Emitter).









You can see the difference between the standard and wide angle pattern. 
*Road beam Pattern on High: Spot vs Wide angle *









*Trail beam Pattern on High: Spot vs Wide angle *

*Mount *
I didn’t even bother with the standard mount. A single O-ring didn’t seem like very secure system and it doesn’t lend itself for quick mounting and removal. So I discarded the mount and replaced it with one from my old Cateye H-24. An spacer plate was needed so I fabricated one from a piece of plexiglass. I drilled two holes for screws and made a channel for the wire. Then I modified the body by drilling/tapping 2 holes 8-32 to which the spacer is bolted on to. I add clear silicone to all holes and gaps to ensure good water resistance.










*Conclusion*

Good: Overall I’m happy with the light. The construction is solid with more then enough output for city communting needs. It reached a full burn time of 3hrs on High. The design and construction is simple which is attractive to tinkerers who plan to modify the light. An excellent value light. 

Bad: The spot light isn't ideal for a bike light so I'd recommend a wide angle lens especially for off trail. It is falsely advertised as 1800 Lm. At best it's probably in the range of 450-550 Lm. The O-ring friction mount seemed like an after thought. It definitely needs a better mounting system. There was no low battery warning indicator. The battery pouch is adequate but the strap is too long. It could use a second strap so to give a little more support. The option of a warmer T5 would make it almost perfect.

Time will tell how many cycles the batter pack will last. When it dies I plan to build my own pack. 

At the time of this review the Ebay seller had 12614 feedback and 99.6% +ve 
I’ll update this thread with the Low burn time after I log more hours.
Enjoy


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## MB1

That may be the best and most complete review of anything I have ever read on RBR.

Bravo for all the work.


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## spartacus001

Thanks MB1,
I'm more then happy to accept any bike products for review ... say a Pinarello dogma 2 :aureola:


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## bane

do you have a link to the ebay seller or actual listings for the light?


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## MB1

bane said:


> do you have a link to the ebay seller or actual listings for the light?


That is what Google is for....


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## spartacus001

bane said:


> do you have a link to the ebay seller or actual listings for the light?


PM'd you


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## bane

thanks for the pm


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## spartacus001

* Edit *
I added some burn time numbers


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## bikerneil

Very nice write-up. I disagree with your desire to switch a warmer color light. The higher Kelvin color light that you have is actually more efficient. I suspect the light is about 5000 Kelvin, which gives you some beneficial scotopic effects - in other words, your eye perceives there to be more light. This effect is far more important than the improved CRI that you would achieve with a warmer light.

I am impressed with your $60 light. I don't know that I would have been brave enough to break out my drill and tap and attempt your retrofit solution.

If I didn't have a head light that is 100% adequate, I would consider this one (I have the dinotte LED system and it cranks out the Lumens as well).

Thanks.


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## tarwheel2

Looks very similar to my "900 lumen" Magicshine. The lumens are definitely overstated, but they are bright lights nonetheless, particularly for the price. I haven't had any problems with the O-ring mount and actually prefer it some of the more complicated ones I have seen.

My Magicshine was covered by the battery recall by Geoman, and it works well with the new batteries. However, the low-charge indicator doesn't work with the new batteries, so you have to keep track of the run time.


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## spartacus001

Lm are definitely overstated but there is still more then enough light for my needs. 
When ever I charge these non-name batteries I make sure they sit on top of a bare steel surface and I always monitor them. So far, so good. They are always cool to the touch.


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## esXso

After 3 years my 4400 mah MS battery packs are around 2/3 or 1/2 their original capacity. I'm going to spot weld some higher quality and higher capacity batteries in there this winter. I like the MS lights but never use the high beam unless I'm outside and moving on the bike because they get really hot.

I use my helmet-mounted light around the house all the time. My little Petzl Tikka lamps are relegated to the bedside stand and flashlights are passé. I wish the MS lights had a low setting in addition to the medium so you could use them for hours and hours doing yard work at night during the hottest part of summer. 

I like the look of that Ebay diffraction lens.


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## KWL

Thanks for the information that a 10x30 replacement lens exists and your photo comparison to the spot. (Hmmm...The Action LED Lights handlebar mount doesn't look too bad either.) Excellent review.


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## Gripped

Looks like this unit, lol.

Amazon.com: SpokeGrenade SG-1000e Bicycle Headlight Set: Sports & Outdoors


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## spartacus001

I was hoping this lamp would problem free a little longer but since my original review I've run into some issues.

I switched on the light during a night ride and it ran for about a minute then it shut off. It seems like the battery just ran out of juice. 
I plugged it into the charger and the LED indicator light was out. So I left it over night but it didn't charge the battery. I put a meter on it and the charger has died.

I've order a replacement charger. 


I recieved a Sony laptop charger @ 8.4V 1.5A. Pretty close to the specs. of the original charger. I spliced the jack from the broken adapter, soldered and heat shrunk the splice.
Put the battery in a metal tray and plugged in the charger. I monitored the temperature the entire time. The adapter was slightly warm and the batteries showed no signs of heat. After 5hrs it was done. The adapter was cold. 
Plugged in the light. Bingo! Back to night riding. 










The old adapter just died. Other then no LED there was no other warning. No burning smell, no excessive heat. Probably a bad transformer or capacitor.


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## esXso

Update on DIY replacement batteries. I replaced the original 4 (first generation Magic Shine) with Panasonic 3100 mah batteries using a Weller 80 watt soldering pen (40 watt Weller with its fat tip would have worked fine) and now the pack seems to have bottomless capacity. I often ride at night for several hours but have yet to deplete the modified pack. Guessing it would run about 2.5 hours on high and 4.5 hours on low but don't know for certain yet. Seems to take twice as long to recharge now.


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## berry barry

Hi there. I am new to lights and took a shot on some of the cree xml t6's. The lights are really bright - agreed. But unfortunately, one of the battery packs drains after less than 2 minutes on high and the other only lasts abut 40 mins. So obviously, I cannot use them. Feel like a fool now ordering from china bc I am gettingthe runarounsd that I will have to pay for shipping back to asia (even though their site says they would pay return shipping on defective merchandise). SO now I am left with two lights and two paperweights. Is there a way I can rig up some similar batteries myself or use a different pack that will work with these lights? I don't want to oreder the replacement packs i have found online because they are all from China and "fool me once, shame on you......" Is there a comaprable pack from another North American company? Is there an easy way to do this myself? Sorrry....I am a newb to this.


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## froze

Your estimate of the actual Lumens is probably darn close to correct. I compared my Cygolite MityCross 480 to a friends former MagicShine 1200 lumen light and mine was actually a tad brighter in distance, and you could see my beam's center over his beam's center, but his had a slightly broader beam. And the beam shots done by MTBR show a lessor 800 Lumen Magicshine and the beam barely shows up on the shot while lessor Lumen lights show up better.

The killer deal on E-Bay now is a 2300 Lumen bike light for only $46; see: 2300 Lumens CREE XM L T6 GXP R5 LED Bicycle Light Headlight Headlamp | eBay This will probably be closer to 1100 Lumens but at $46 for that much power is great. And since your only spending about as much for that light as a replacement battery cost for a MagicShine you're not out as much money should the light die like the MagicShines do.


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## Fogdweller

Wow, a year old review and it's still spot on and fresh. I missed this one originally so thanks to others for bumping it to the top. I just started my third winter commuting with a MagicShine which is probably its last I would imagine. The housing on the power has pulled away from the both the light and the plug exposing the wires inside and it's only a matter of time before the light shorts out and leaves me in the dark. This will define be a strong contender when I look for a replacement.

Thanks again!


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## froze

Fogdweller said:


> Wow, a year old review and it's still spot on and fresh. I missed this one originally so thanks to others for bumping it to the top. I just started my third winter commuting with a MagicShine which is probably its last I would imagine. The housing on the power has pulled away from the both the light and the plug exposing the wires inside and it's only a matter of time before the light shorts out and leaves me in the dark. This will define be a strong contender when I look for a replacement.
> 
> Thanks again!


Three years is a very short period of time for a light. Of course in regards to MagicShine that's a long time for their lights. My MagicShine lasted 2 months and their customer service at the time Geoman had died sucked, I sent the light under warranty time period and they still have the light I sent in around two years ago, and they never answered any of my e-mails. A friend of mine bought a newer version of the MagicShine then what I had and his lasted a year and two or three months before it failed. 

I have an old low end Cygolite Metro I bought about 18 years ago and that darn thing still works after a lot of commuting with it in various weather! The Metro shows no signs of wear or cable stress after all that time; though now it's retired due to getting brighter LED technology lights. My Cygolite Mitycross is now two years old and it shows no signs of wear or cable stress. And if cable stress is a concern then why get a light with a separate battery? There are a lot of bright lights on the market now that have self contained rechargeable batteries, one of the brightest of such at a low cost is the Cygolite ExpiliOn 700 which is as bright as a 1200 lumen MagicShine if not brighter because the Chinese knockoffs over rate their lumens by at least twice as much as they really have. And if you can afford it the Phillips Saferide 80 is even brighter due to beam shaping.

My point in my earlier post is that if you want a cheap light like the MagicShine that will last one to three years then get the light I mentioned on E-bay, it cost less the half the cost of the MagicShine so you will be out less money when it breaks.

Here is a beam comparison of a few lights on the market: http://reviews.mtbr.com/2012-bike-lights-shootout-backyard-beam-pattern-photos

And Performancebike.com now has beam comparisons for most of their lights including the ExpiliOn 700 which is their second brightest light, their brightest light costs about 3 times more!


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## TickDoc

Just bought one and have the second on the way. I only paid $39 for mine and am very impressed for the money spent. My biggest concern is that the connector at the battery end is weak and I can see it breaking with prolonged use and the connector cable is not the tightest junction and is easily disconnected with just the weight of the battery pack. You get what you pay for as far as build quality, but in this case you get a whole heck of a lot of light for the money.

I have bought quite a few led's from this chinese distributer and even splurged on their $99 6000 lumens flashlight....can't wait to see that one in action. It may be a little heavy for a bike, but even at half the advertised luminosity it should light up a trail nicely ;~)


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## froze

TickDoc said:


> Just bought one and have the second on the way. I only paid $39 for mine and am very impressed for the money spent. My biggest concern is that the connector at the battery end is weak and I can see it breaking with prolonged use and the connector cable is not the tightest junction and is easily disconnected with just the weight of the battery pack. You get what you pay for as far as build quality, but in this case you get a whole heck of a lot of light for the money.
> 
> I have bought quite a few led's from this chinese distributer and even splurged on their $99 6000 lumens flashlight....can't wait to see that one in action. It may be a little heavy for a bike, but even at half the advertised luminosity it should light up a trail nicely ;~)


Which one did you get?

Do a review for us after you use it for awhile I'm sure a lot of people, especially those considering the MagicShine will be very interested.

You can count on the lumens to be about half of the factory rated, but like you said it will light up the path nicely. And besides for those prices you could go crazy with lighting by getting a second one and still be lower in total price of just one Magicshine and light up the path like it was daytime!


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## TickDoc

froze said:


> Which one did you get?
> 
> Do a review for us after you use it for awhile I'm sure a lot of people, especially those considering the MagicShine will be very interested.


Will do. I'm too cheap to buy any high-end light for comparison, but if we know the 1600 lumen light is in the 500 range then it should be an easy side-by-side.


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## spartacus001

Wow. 
12K+ views and counting. I'm flattered with the ongoing discussion since my original post a year ago.

*Time for an update:*

After a year of moderate use the battery capacity is only functioning at 20%. 
I always carry 3 light sources but 2 of them failed because of battery issues. 
On my commute home last night the Ebay light cut out at around 35mins (high) after an overnight charge. I had to finish the ride with only a small blinker and 10km was in pitch dark.

The original charger died after 6 months and had to be replaced. 
So now I plan on building a custom 2S2P battery pack with a set of high quality 3100mAH 18650s 

In the end it costed me $60+ for a year of lighting. *meh*
Nothing lasts forever but I was expecting a little more longevity then a year.

In hind sight, if I had to do it all over again I would spend a little more money for a quality light. So if you have this light or you're considering it, don't set your expectations too high. You get what you pay for. 

I'll keep you guys posted on my build.


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## spartacus001

Cool. Are you using the same MS charger or an aftermarket LiON charger?


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## froze

spartacus001 said:


> After a year of moderate use the battery capacity is only functioning at 20%.
> I always carry 3 light sources but 2 of them failed because of battery issues.
> On my commute home last night the Ebay light cut out at around 35mins (high) after an overnight charge. I had to finish the ride with only a small blinker and 10km was in pitch dark.
> 
> The original charger died after 6 months and had to be replaced.
> So now I plan on building a custom 2S2P battery pack with a set of high quality 3100mAH 18650s
> 
> In the end it costed me $60+ for a year of lighting. *meh*
> Nothing lasts forever but I was expecting a little more longevity then a year.
> 
> In hind sight, if I had to do it all over again I would spend a little more money for a quality light. So if you have this light or you're considering it, don't set your expectations too high. You get what you pay for.
> 
> I'll keep you guys posted on my build.


that was the same problem a friend and I had with MagicShine. Mine only lasted 2 months, my friends lasted a year and 2 or 3 months. These lights are cheap, and you get what you pay for. The new batch of E-Bay lights offered are only only $45 for the 2300 lumens, so if it last only a year and you buy another and it to last a year your still under the price of a MagicShine that for sure won't make it 2 years. In fact the replacement battery alone for the MagicShine cost as much as the new $45 2300 E-bay light with the battery and charger!

Personally I would rather spend a bit more and know I would get a superior product, and get either a Cygolite ExpiliOn 700 for about $110, or the step up to the Phillips Saferide which I already have and can attest that it's a great light. But that EpiliOn 700 is the best name brand light deal on the market.


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## spartacus001

I'm tempted by the newest discount *3xXMLs!! *that are now offered for $40
But first, I will need a reliable power source.

Here is my make-shift replacement pack for now:
My project link is here: 
Needing Expert Advice with a 4-cell 2P2S build - Mtbr Forums


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## TickDoc

*light update with some comparison pics*

just received my big dog 6000 lumens job from the cheap china outfit and thought I would post some pics.

for comparison, here is a shot of my 50 lumen inova x1 with a single fresh AA battery.

This has been a favorite go to light for a few years now. Great backup light that is bright, reliable, small, and lasts a long time for such a small package:









next up is the 1800 lumens xl headlamp/bicycle light that is thoroughly described above:








low beam:

















and finally the 6000 Lumens 5x Bulb CREE XM-L T6 LED 4x 18650 Flashlight Torch 35W Light Lamp

























low beam:








high beam:









I have ridden with the 1800 lumen light and I think it strikes a good balance between value and brightness. The batterypak is small enough to pack easily in a seatbag. The beam is a bit far reaching, but it is nice to know you can see out for a long ways. I also like that I can have both a helmet mounted light and a handlebar mounted light for $80.00 total.

I've yet to devise a decent mounting for the big dog, but I really think it is too heavy for a road bike. It's beam pattern is a nice balance between distance and broad view.

If I can come up with a decent way to mount it on my bike without damaging the stem I'll report back with some ride shots.


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## froze

TickDoc said:


> j
> I have ridden with the 1800 lumen light and I think it strikes a good balance between value and brightness.
> 
> .


Keep in mind that a cheap Chinese imported 1800 lumen light is actually only about 700 to 900 lumens max. Which in my opinion 700 to 900 lumens is more then enough light for road riding, not enough for single track riding though. I use a Phillips Saferide and a Cygolite Mitycross 480, and for most circumstances riding with both on high is just a bit too much light in my opinion. It's nice to have the higher power especially for pitch black tree lined bike paths with no lighting, or pitch black country roads with no lighting, otherwise in urban settings it's like driving your car with the brights on all the time...you don't need to, and out on pitch black roads you'll never over run 700 to 900 lumens unless you can move along at 45mph or better!

I like the Phillips because it aims the light flat which makes the light appear to be about 1200 lumens instead of only 400 something it actually has, it's noticeably brighter then my Mitycrose 480 which has a typical round flashlight type of beam pattern, so a lot of it's power is wasted which is why I use it as a helmet light. Even my wife who drove towards me one dark and rainy night said the Phillips was noticeably brighter and larger in appearance, which the lens is much larger then the Mitycross.


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## spartacus001

TickDoc said:


> just received my big dog 6000 lumens job from the cheap china outfit and thought I would post some pics.
> ...


:yikes:

That is a monster of a light! It will definitely give you enough light for your commute. Nice beam shots
For this heafty baby you'd definiely need a sturdy metal clamping mount. 

You can adapt something like this for a mount. 
Bontrager: Handlebar Bottle Cage Clamp (Model #04087)

Or a couple of these:
Bike Bicycle Cycling Metal Durable Water Bottle Cage Handlebar Bar Adapter Tool | eBay


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## moonmoth

spartacus001 said:


> After a year of moderate use the battery capacity is only functioning at 20%.
> I always carry 3 light sources but 2 of them failed because of battery issues.
> On my commute home last night the Ebay light cut out at around 35mins (high) after an overnight charge. I had to finish the ride with only a small blinker and 10km was in pitch dark.


Disappointing to hear this. I've had one of these lights for 2 months now and am very pleased with it. Sad to know that the battery is soon destined for failure.



> The original charger died after 6 months and had to be replaced.
> So now I plan on building a custom 2S2P battery pack with a set of high quality 3100mAH 18650s


I look forward to hearing your details about your 18650 battery build.


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## spartacus001

yeah. It is unfortunate but really do You get what you pay for.
Most of my project parts came in but there is a problem with the charger so it'll be some time before I can get things resolved. 

Here is my temporary power unit for now: 
Needing Expert Advice with a 4-cell 2P2S build - Mtbr Forums


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## froze

If you treat the battery right maybe it might last longer??? Phillips told me that with any rechargeable battery that you need to fully charge the battery for 24 hours even though the finish charging light goes on, then you have to do three completed fully discharge to dead state and fully recharge to full charge state cycles. After that you just charge whenever however you like.


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## spartacus001

Well It's done. Here is my 2S2P build that can use removable cells. 
As you can see the holder does in fact fit Protected Cells. There is almost no wiggle room so this should reduce the risk of battery-bounce. I plan to house it inside a padded digital camera bag.










I epoxied the holders back to back. The wiring was pretty straight forward. The +ve and -ve Diagonal wires configures the Parallel battery pairs and the Series configuration is already built into the holders. 

The cells will be charged individually in an intellicharger. I only had a short ride last night so I wasn't able to test the full capacity. I'm guessing it'll be over 3hrs on a single MS.









Using a Lowe Pro digital camera pouch I added some velcro straps and a fasttec buckle to it. 









I'm thinking about doing a 2nd one and adding a PCB so I can use Non-Protected cells.


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## Herbie

Excellent thread. I think there is more to lighting than Lumes. My old e6 powered by a generator puts out far less. It is however very concentrated. Even riding out in the country I find the tight pattern to be more than enough light.


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## froze

Herbie said:


> Excellent thread. I think there is more to lighting than Lumes. My old e6 powered by a generator puts out far less. It is however very concentrated. Even riding out in the country I find the tight pattern to be more than enough light.



Lumens is a highly misquoted factor by most if no all manufactures, some are worst then others, and since there is no regulation in force to standardize the test then one can sell a 1/2 watt led and claim it has 500 lumens. All the Chinese knock offs I've seen have over estimated their lumens by 100% so you have to cut their rated lumens in half to get a closer to real life rating. For example, my friend had a 1200 lumen MagicShine and my 480 lumen Cygolite Mitycross was just a tad brighter. 

That's why it's a good idea to check out the comparisons on various sites to at least get an idea of the brightness level compared to others you may be considering. But be forewarned, photos do not do justice to showing accurate lighting in the same way the human eye will perceive it, I've found that in real life the lights actually appear brighter and different hues will be perceived better then photos show. By hues I mean some lights have slight bluish cast, some have a slight greenish cast, some have a white cast, and other have a natural warmer cast, and those are not seen in comparison photos.

Tight patterns tend to have a longer reach which is great for pitch black country roads, that's one of the reasons why I have two lights, the helmet light is more of a round flood pattern, while the handlebar light has a further reach to it. But I also use two lights in case a battery or bulb failure I have another light working; and the helmet light I can flash in drivers eyes at intersections to make sure they see me; and in the city I use the helmet light on flash mode which I can still aim at drivers but the added flash gets everyone who is sober attention.


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## spartacus001

*UPDATE:*
I had some time to make a second pack to use with unprotected cells.
With the wires soldered internally it offers more protection and a cleaner look.

I extended the four +ve terminals with rivets to allow for better reach/contact for flat-top cells. 
Here it is: 


























BTW, a great reference from a R/C site for building your own battery packs: 
*R/C Calculations*
Just plug in your pack configuration and it gives you the wiring schematic. I plan to do a 2S3P build in the future. 

It will generate a wiring schematic something like this.


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## JaeP

Thread bump time!

I bought 3 of these generic Chinese lights (for $24.99 ea. plus free shipping I couldn't pass up this deal). The lights I received are definately of lower quality than my Magicshine; for example, the cabling felt flimsier and thinner than my Magicshine. The 4 cell battery was not 8.4v but a measly 4.14v but it was just as bright as my Magicshine with a PP7 emitter. To my amazement the run time for my new light was just a little over 5.5 hours (on high)! When the low power light (red) came on I was still able to run it on high for over 6 hours (it was getting late and I had to get to bed).

For the price I'm not complaining. This light is not for heavy duty off roading but for city/town commuting I think it's just fine. If this fails early I still have two backups.


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## froze

JaeP said:


> Thread bump time!
> 
> I bought 3 of these generic Chinese lights (for $24.99 ea. plus free shipping I couldn't pass up this deal). The lights I received are definately of lower quality than my Magicshine; for example, the cabling felt flimsier and thinner than my Magicshine. The 4 cell battery was not 8.4v but a measly 4.14v but it was just as bright as my Magicshine with a PP7 emitter. To my amazement the run time for my new light was just a little over 5.5 hours (on high)! When the low power light (red) came on I was still able to run it on high for over 6 hours (it was getting late and I had to get to bed).
> 
> For the price I'm not complaining. This light is not for heavy duty off roading but for city/town commuting I think it's just fine. If this fails early I still have two backups.


It shouldn't fail any sooner then my Magicshine did after 2 months, or my friends after 13 months. My warranty was for 90 days (their original warranty period) to which Magicshine never returned to me either the repaired unit or a new one, after many many e-mails and no responses I gave up, it eventually wasn't worth the time or energy. My friends unit had a year warranty on the light which was what failed (the charger and battery is 6 months) so 13 months was outside the warranty. My friend instead got a Phillips Saferide like mine because it was brighter then his MagicShine 1000 lumen light! Chinese generic brands and MagicShine overrate their lumens by at least 100%, so if they say they put out 1200 lumens their closer to 500 to 600.

You can see the dramatic difference here: 2012 Bike Lights Shootout ? Backyard Beam Pattern Photos | Mountain Bike Review Look at the MS MJ808 with 1000 claimed lumens, right above it is a 550 lumen light and it's brighter then the MS, then scan down to the Phillips and it's much more intense. Another example of Chinese overating of the MS is the Princeton Tec Push with a measly 100 lumens is far brighter then the old MS MJ858 with a claim 400 lumens. Anyway you can see other lights too overrate their capabilities so it's not entirely generic brands that do that, but all LED lights come out of China so it just depends on the company how accurately they want to express their lumens, which is why comparisons like that MTB Review are a good representation of lights, it won't be as accurate as the human eye will see the light but it does give you an idea of what you'll be dealing with.

There's more here for 2013 models: 2013 Bike Lights Shootout ? Beam Photos and Mtbr Lab tests | Mountain Bike Review


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## JaeP

Thanks for the linkies, Froze. When I bought my Magicshine in 2010 the general consensus amongst the interwebs was that it was a 450-500 lumen light; not the claimed 900 lumens. This was much better than my previous light: A Vistalite 10w halogen headlamp with a 5lb brick of a sealed, lead-acid battery (I'm a cheapstake and didn't want to fork over the big bucks for a Ni Cad Niterider). Alas, after 2.5 years of use my Magicshine has started to develop problems. The original battery still holds a good charge (I never participated in that battery replacement thing from Geoman) but when ever I go over bumpy roads my light would stutter off and on and some times shuts off. I have to jiggle the cable to get the light back on. I hope I just have a loose wire instead of a bad circuit board. Anyway, I happy with my new generic Chinese bicycle lights.

BTW, does anyone know how to take the Magicshine apart?

Here's a pic of my old bicycle light.


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## rpinyolm

Hello Spartacus,
I've got this same light kit, and now after very few use, and installing different battery pack, the light has stopped working. I want to access the rear board, to see if I can repair the light at my own. 
Can you explain me, or send me any pic. of how to access the rear PCB?
I managed to acces the front LED, and even dissamble it ... but I don't know how to access that board, which I think is the cause the light doesn't work, since the LED and the batteries are OK.

Corresponding to your picture:








Thank you


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## carsonreinke

I know this is a slightly old thread, however, has anyone mounted this to the helmet besides the cheesy mining style straps?


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## JaeP

carsonreinke said:


> I know this is a slightly old thread, however, has anyone mounted this to the helmet besides the cheesy mining style straps?


I removed the included straps and replaced them with strips of velcro I bought at Home Depot. So far, so good.


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