Anyone Got a "SSC P7-C 3-Mode 900-Lumen" From Ebay ?

[BSRU]

There is a regulator in there to control the voltage/current to the LED so no "problems" there.

1.5hrs is very pestimistic, and the light output doesn't drop all that gradually - granted it does depend on the cells inside.

Spare battery = $30 (£20) or as you have done, replace the cells (new, x4 <$20 a set).

Charger has "protection" but cannot balance induvidual cells as it only has 2 wires to the battery. I am not fully sure on what the PCB does inside and how well it balances it, so if you replaced your old cells you shouldn't have a problem (well, the same as the original). If your laptop battery is old, your runtimes won't be great for obvious reasons.

If you really want to build your own from scratch - use a 4x 18650 holder (2s2p layout turboferret etc not selling any more though - could even use 2s4p for double run times) and charge the batteries separate.

You could just buy a 12v 9800mAh Li-ion from Ebay, about £26 to £30, they work with Magicshines.

 

[DrSquirrel]

9800 - Has anyone tested the actual rating?

I base my cell choice on this http://light-reviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=513

8x 2600mah (in 2 series) = 10400mah - I do like the general look of the pack you are talking about though, looks pretty.

 

[pshore]

we want pics etc and honest opinions as there is a few of us waiting in the wings to purchase !

I have been running with a Deal Extreme setup for about a year now. Here's a bit of a review.


I bought two torches, 4x18650 batteries, a charger+adapter and a couple of handle bar attachments. The torches were the ones advised on the Bike Radar, What Lights thread - a P7 for a floody beam and smaller lighter C1 as a helmet light for offroad cycling at night.

Using the lights:
I live in the flat fenlands and mostly ride bridleways rather than technical singletrack. For my purpose, the P7 on its own is awesome. The only light I have seen in the flesh for power output is a Hope something and was over £300 including charger. The extra light of that is nice but not necessary. The C1 I have is a tight spot light and is useful on your head for twisty singletrack. It is a underpowered for racing but fine for anything else. I don't think I could do high speed downhills with my setup either as you need to see further down the track.

One battery will last me about 2 hours on the most powerful mode with my P7 before it starts to dim. It is still usable to get home but all you need do it chuck another battery in and away you go again.

The P7 is too bright to use on the road so I turn it off there. I use the C1 and it is great for pitch black roads without blinding other drivers so I use that mostly on my commute bike.


Charging:
When I first got the lights, I plugged in the charger and US to UK adapter and it immediately went bang! A scary moment especially as these 18650's can burst into flames if mistreated. I needed a new charger.

Soon after, I also discovered that my C1 torch is not the genuine article but a copy! Discussion forums will tell you that factories in China often copy the patterns of real products but use cheaper components. I decided to take no chances and bought a charger from the UK - £20 versus £10 for peace of mind. Since then, I've had no problems.


Build Quality:
My C1 5-mode torch has had the usual problems with the battery rattling and changing modes. All you need C1 torch was £12 and is actually very bright. I can forgive it, but I am happy fixing things that break at home.

Conclusion:
Awesome value for money. Real offroading a night is possible for a budget of around £80 - but comes with some downsides.
If you are the kind of person who takes things back to the shop at the first sign of a problem then this setup isn't for you. If on the other hand you are a competent DIYer and own a multimeter then this is definitely for you !
I would not have spent £300+ on a front light but now I am having offroad fun at all hours. Well chuffed ! :-)

My setup is a year out of date now and I think brighter lights/emmitters are here.


Phil.

 

[BSRU]

9800 - Has anyone tested the actual rating?

I base my cell choice on this http://light-reviews...c.php?f=9&t=513

8x 2600mah (in 2 series) = 10400mah - I do like the general look of the pack you are talking about though, looks pretty.

I have not done a definitive test but I used the 9800mAh battery for four days using about 1.7A per day so 6.8A for the whole week with no problems. I used it with a halogen and that is quite power sensitive.

 

[DrSquirrel]

Charging:
When I first got the lights, I plugged in the charger and US to UK adapter and it immediately went bang! A scary moment especially as these 18650's can burst into flames if mistreated. I needed a new charger.

Soon after, I also discovered that my C1 torch is not the genuine article but a copy! Discussion forums will tell you that factories in China often copy the patterns of real products but use cheaper components. I decided to take no chances and bought a charger from the UK - £20 versus £10 for peace of mind. Since then, I've had no problems.


Build Quality:
My C1 5-mode torch has had the usual problems with the battery rattling and changing modes. All you need C1 torch was £12 and is actually very bright. I can forgive it, but I am happy fixing things that break at home.

The "outside" being a copy doens't matter that well, it's the LED and drivers that are.

I agree with you on the charger, just make sure it has lots of reviews/users over a long period on DX.

Rattling can be sorted by adjusting the position of the pill etc, or use little RE magnets to make the battery bigger and thus rattle less or none.

 

[pshore]

Rattling can be sorted by adjusting the position of the pill etc, or use little RE magnets to make the battery bigger and thus rattle less or none.

I forgot to say, mine doesn't rattle anymore as I wrap the battery in paper. It was the width that was the problem rather than the length on my head torch.

You would be guttted if you are a take-it-back-the-shop person but if you have more of a James May Man Lab attitude it is rather satisfying to find fault and fix :-)


Also, I realise the OP was buying from ebay. There is going to be a middle man making money over what you would pay DX. There will come a point where the saving is diminished making 'risk' not worth taking.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I forgot to say, mine doesn't rattle anymore as I wrap the battery in paper. It was the width that was the problem rather than the length on my head torch.

You would be guttted if you are a take-it-back-the-shop person but if you have more of a James May Man Lab attitude it is rather satisfying to find fault and fix :-)


Also, I realise the OP was buying from ebay. There is going to be a middle man making money over what you would pay DX. There will come a point where the saving is diminished making 'risk' not worth taking.

DX is a middle man... they don't even hold stock.

Also more likely to find stock holders on ebay, so the 2-3 quid more might see it dispatched in a day rather than a week.

 

[twowheelsgood]

Mine arrived today. First run tomorrow.

Mine is the MJ-808 which has the newer, silver container with the digital meter.

I'm impressed at the quality overall. First thing though will be to apply a little silicone sealant either end of the battery pack.

 

[BenM]

Just had the ride home from hell - lights wise that is. Can't wait until PayPal has managed to make the test deposits so I can get a P7 of some description for unlit shared path riding... why is it Peds seem to insist on wearing black and standing in shadows? oh and keeping their dogs on an invisible lead?

Didn't manage to hit any but it was a near thing even though I was riding at 2-3 mph.

Oh well - back to the road commute (not pleasant at all) until the new light gets here.

B.

 

[twowheelsgood]

OK, Here is my brief review after my first ride, my normal commute. 15km mixed road, cycle path, riverside path (unlit).

I have to say I have mixed feelings overall. Although it seems a bit nit-picky for the price, hopefully this'll be helpful.

Firstly on the positive side, I'm seriously impressed with the overall quality of the unit. Everything seems well built (except perhaps the charger side of things), the connectors snap together nicely and the light and the battery can be attached easily and securely - nothing rattles or wobbles which is more than I can say about many far more expensive set-ups I've used. The amount of light is good, but not overwhelming and the battery life at least as good as the 3hrs claimed. A bit of silicone sealer on the battery should see this set-up pretty weather resistant too.

On the negative, the light was very, very blue on my unit. Maybe that's the luck of the draw. I also have an LED torch with the rival 4 emitter diode, the Cree mc-e, which is much, much better than this. Also the beam pattern is not ideal for general cycling, maybe better for off road. The beam is too diffuse. Ideally a brighter hotspot, like a dipped beam with a very light halo diffuse pattern for visibility to others. The light really isn't as good for general cycling as my home built halogen, which uses the Philips 20W MR16 Masterline ES 8 degree which I run at 14.4v. I did run the truly awesome 35W lamp, but the cells are no longer up to this. This has been my everyday light for about 4 years - the new light won't replace this, more supplement it (perhaps a helmet mount).

Overall 3.5/5 and 5/5 for value. I can see this light (and definely it's battery pack) being big with modders over the coming years. Personally I think a better binned LED and upping the power (3hrs runtime is really not necessary for most commuters) would go a long way to improving this.

I can also see MTBers using one (or perhaps 2) on the bar and one on the helmet as an outstanding budget set-up.

 

[DrSquirrel]

If the light is too floody for your bars, why would you bother mounting it on your helmet?

 

[twowheelsgood]

'cos I own precisely 2 lights. This'll give me one fixed, one directable for offroad. It's not ideal I know. The helmet mounted MC-E torch is much better but only runs a single cell for about 40mins.

 

[gb155]

Blackburn Voyage IIRC £34.99

My P7 (2 Mode, with battery power Meter), £74.99

Its not huge either

 

[DrSquirrel]

Should be posting camera settings here, assuming they were static in the first place. MTBR has a "standard" set of camera settings...

ISO - 100
Aperture - f/4
Shutter speed - 6sec
WB - dayligh

btw, why not mount the MS to the left, then the light will sit above your stem saving wasted space.

For anyone else interested, they have released a new XP-E model, only "200" lumen though, 2 cell pack (5hrs on high). Slightly smaller overall but not that much. Sadly only £12 less so better off getting the P7 light and running it on low.

 

[gb155]

Should be posting camera settings here, assuming they were static in the first place. MTBR has a "standard" set of camera settings...

ISO - 100
Aperture - f/4
Shutter speed - 6sec
WB - dayligh

btw, why not mount the MS to the left, then the light will sit above your stem saving wasted space.

For anyone else interested, they have released a new XP-E model, only "200" lumen though, 2 cell pack (5hrs on high). Slightly smaller overall but not that much. Sadly only £12 less so better off getting the P7 light and running it on low.

Garmin Edge