Lights. CREE XML XM-L T6 / U2 etc Thread

[M1ke]

My Cree T6 arrived today. I am well impressed. It's easily as bright as the headlight of my Honda CRV! I was looking through the shop of the ebay seller that I got it from and noticed that he was selling some rather natty laser rear lights. Has anyone tried them? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Bicyc...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item4847ca501d

They shine a red laser light onto the road! Right on,

 

[GrumpyGregry]

My Cree T6 arrived today. I am well impressed. It's easily as bright as the headlight of my Honda CRV! I was looking through the shop of the ebay seller that I got it from and noticed that he was selling some rather natty laser rear lights. Has anyone tried them? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Bicyc...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item4847ca501d

They shine a red laser light onto the road! Right on,

The lasers work and as a gimmick are eye catching but as with a lot of cheapo stuff the plastics the things are made of is shite. brittle and very easily cracked/broken.

 

[inkd]

I used my new T6 last night and was very impressed, the only gripe I have is finding a suitable place for the battery pack. I ordered a triangle frame bag to store it in as it was knocking against my frame.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

I used my new T6 last night and was very impressed, the only gripe I have is finding a suitable place for the battery pack. I ordered a triangle frame bag to store it in as it was knocking against my frame.

I mounted mine under my stem

 

[Andrew Br]

I don't need a new light (I have several lots already) but I'm attracted to this type:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3x-CREE-2...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item20c662166f

The main draw is the remote switch that would mean that I could "dip" the light without taking one of my hands off the bars.
We all "dip" when a car/bike/pedestrian is coming the other way, don't we ?

Does anyone have any user experience of this type of light ?
If so, how effective/useful/easy to use is the switch ?

.

I didn't need a new light but I went ahead and bought one anyway.
I'll report back when it arrives and I've been out with it.

.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I used my new T6 last night and was very impressed, the only gripe I have is finding a suitable place for the battery pack. I ordered a triangle frame bag to store it in as it was knocking against my frame.

Mines in the saddle bag

 

[Andrew Br]

I don't need a new light (I have several lots already) but I'm attracted to this type:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3x-CREE-2...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item20c662166f

The main draw is the remote switch that would mean that I could "dip" the light without taking one of my hands off the bars.
We all "dip" when a car/bike/pedestrian is coming the other way, don't we ?

Does anyone have any user experience of this type of light ?
If so, how effective/useful/easy to use is the switch ?

.

I didn't need a new light but I went ahead and bought one anyway.
I'll report back when it arrives and I've been out with it.

.

The light arrived yesterday morning so I put it on charge for the afternoon and went out with it yesterday evening.
I only did 26km and it was on one of the lower settings for most of the time. Even so, the switch started flashing red when I was some way from home. Luckily, I still had the freshly charged battery from my other Magic-Shine-a-like on the bars (as well as my E3 dyno light) so I got back OK.
The remote switch works well but not in the way I'd wanted it to; it cycles through all the settings in turn and then switches off (centre light; both side lights; all 3; off) so it doesn't do "dip", "high" like I'd wanted it to.
Another wasted opportunity is the nature of the beams; they're all conical spots. It would be better if the outer lights had a spread beam. I couldn't detect much difference between any of them and I mostly ran with just the centre light switched on to eke out the battery a little longer.
It is impressively bright; I was on the Fallowfield Loop last night and it was really dark but this thing really lit everything up.
Everything considered, I think I'm going to send it back. If it had been £20, I'd keep it.

It looks like I'll have to start saving for an Exposure Strada.
Dear Santa..................

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[fossyant]

Some very useful beam shots from MTBR covering most of the lights we have

http://oi43.tinypic.com/2qjxid1.jpg

 

[Andrew Br]

Is that Brookes Drive Hawthorn Lane fossyant ?

ETA: That's a very useful post. Thanks.

.

 

[cyberknight]

Well my magicshine battery is finally on the way out heading into its 3rd? winter , it is only holding enough charge for 1 commute so i just plumped for an xml t6.
Any tips for waterproofing the battery?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Well my magicshine battery is finally on the way out heading into its 3rd? winter , it is only holding enough charge for 1 commute so i just plumped for an xml t6.
Any tips for waterproofing the battery?

Mine is in a food bag inside my saddle bag which then also has a food bag over it. So far (touches wood) it has survived some torrential downpours

 

[cyberknight]

Mine is in a food bag inside my saddle bag which then also has a food bag over it. So far (touches wood) it has survived some torrential downpours

Nice idea, i had this type before so i never needed to wory.

Costs more for a new battery than a complete xml t6 and i had to rejoin the wiring on the light head last year after to much twisting of cable around bars caused a loose connection.

 

[Hacienda71]

Nice idea, i had this type before so i never needed to wory.

Costs more for a new battery than a complete xml t6 and i had to rejoin the wiring on the light head last year after to much twisting of cable around bars caused a loose connection.

Can't you unscrew this type of battery holder and replace the 18650 batteries in it? I have the same holder but haven't tried to take it apart as it still holds charge.

 

[cyberknight]

Can't you unscrew this type of battery holder and replace the 18650 batteries in it? I have the same holder but haven't tried to take it apart as it still holds charge.

Just came to me that ,maybe i could take it to bits and put the new battery pack inside with a bit of aggressive maintenance for the cable although the velcro strap is a bit past its best .

 

[Hacienda71]

I think both the simple packs you get with the cheaper lights and the decent hardshell Magicshine ones contain 4 18650 batteries so you may be able to simply transfer the batteries over. Some of the connectors between pack and light are a narrow diameter on the cheap ones so might be worth checking prior to butchering the new pack.