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

[wanda2010]

Using my new T6 tomorrow for the commute home . Is it wrong/sad/worrying that I'm so happy?

Yes it will be angled downwards

 

[wanda2010]

As part of the excitement, I wrapped the battery in green electricial tape then had to stop myself from using gaffer tape also. Counselling?

 

[wanda2010]

@Mort - you are not helping

(I may actually....................)

 

[Andrew Br]

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..................

.

My attempt to send the light back failed.
They didn't want it back and gave me the option to either keep it and they'd send a replacement or keep it and they'd refund me.
I opted for the refund.

It seemed more important to them that I gave them good feedback.

I'm not sure whether this ;-
a) is excellent customer service
b) is an indication of the true cost of these lamps
c) shows how many fail/don't live up to expectations.

I suspect that it's a combination of all three.

I'm wondering whether I could get the "dip switch" to work in the way that I'd like it to.
Any ideas ?

.

 

[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

bit of thread resurrection, anyone tried plastikote?

 

[sazzaa]

I've just bought one of these lights, haven't used it yet though... Anyone fancy summarising this thread for me?

 

[4F]

I've just bought one of these lights, haven't used it yet though... Anyone fancy summarising this thread for me?

Really good light
Chuffing bright
Bag to put battery in is **** so best use something else for this

 

[potsy]

Once you pop you just can't stop, before long you'll have a load of them like fossyant and wanda, lighting up the whole town

They are good though, bit hit and miss quality wise but if you get a good one it'll be worth the money and then some.

 

[wanda2010]

I've only got two of them!

The commute home was lurvley. White van man switched his lights off as I approached (he was stationary). To be fair he should have dipped his lights as they blinded me. Seemed to have a bit more space than usual from drivers especially at junctions. Nice and thanks

 

[jazzkat]

I've skim read through most of this.
Am I right in thinking that if I didn't keep using the battery (or regular charging) it would die on me?
I'm after something for a bit of night time mountain biking, so it won't be used every day, blimey, it might not even get used once a month and I don't want to have to replace the battery pack every time I go for a night ride

 

[cyberknight]

What do you do with the really long cable from the light?
I used to have my battery on the top tube but now i zip tied the cable all the way along so the battery sits in the pannier but it will be a bit of a pita to change bikes.

 

[Tyke]

What do you do with the really long cable from the light?
I used to have my battery on the top tube but now i zip tied the cable all the way along so the battery sits in the pannier but it will be a bit of a pita to change bikes.

I just wrap it around the bars and put the battery pack under the stem. If I put both lights on I put the other battery pack on top of the stem.

 

[Cubist]

I took delivery of my XML U2 version the other day, a Solarstorm X2. Dinky, neat, crap battery pack. I have just received a Fandyfire waterproof battery box from Ollyboyd on eBay for 13 quid, and some decent quality 18650 Xtar batteries for another 25. The batteries goe straight int the case, and can be charged using the plug in adapter that came with the lamp. Make sure you get protected 18650s, and make sure they are proper Panasonic, Xtar, Efest, Sanyo or Samsung. Don't get anything with "fire" in the name, they are probably recycled laptop cels from China and have a habit of catching fire. I'll put some pics on when I'm done charging the light. You can get light unit only for less than fifteen quid. Better light pattern than XML T6, and contains two U2 emitters. Four modes, dim, ooh! and bugger me, plus a strobe mode.

 

[Cubist]

I've skim read through most of this.
Am I right in thinking that if I didn't keep using the battery (or regular charging) it would die on me?
I'm after something for a bit of night time mountain biking, so it won't be used every day, blimey, it might not even get used once a month and I don't want to have to replace the battery pack every time I go for a night ride

Li ion rechargeables don't have a memory effect. You do need to keep it topped up, and avoid discharging them completely. Protected cells have a PCB built in that prevents over discharge. Cost more, but won't set fire to your house for you.

 

[Svendo]

I took delivery of my XML U2 version the other day, a Solarstorm X2. Dinky, neat, crap battery pack. I have just received a Fandyfire waterproof battery box from Ollyboyd on eBay for 13 quid, and some decent quality 18650 Xtar batteries for another 25. The batteries goe straight int the case, and can be charged using the plug in adapter that came with the lamp. Make sure you get protected 18650s, and make sure they are proper Panasonic, Xtar, Efest, Sanyo or Samsung. Don't get anything with "fire" in the name, they are probably recycled laptop cels from China and have a habit of catching fire. I'll put some pics on when I'm done charging the light. You can get light unit only for less than fifteen quid. Better light pattern than XML T6, and contains two U2 emitters. Four modes, dim, ooh! and bugger me, plus a strobe mode.

Torchy have also been a reliable brand for me, from Torchy the battery boy (lots of info and tests on the site), known as big_f_d_d on eBay. Any he is selling can be probably be regarded as reliable. Trustfire is also actually a good brand (see this test of a 26650, but note the single trusted vendor, manafort), the chargers are good, but apparently most 'trustfire' batteries are fake, which has been my experience also ( 18350 1250 mAh which charge in less than an hour on a 400 mAh charger, hmmmm). Can't tell what's real without taking it apart to see if it's a trustfire PCB on a protected cell. While I'm at it Sibele 900mAh 18350's for the other half's e-cig are good.
Just found this site with 18650 tests by looking round budgetlightforums. Very useful.