BUYING TONIGHT: Is there a 18650 (battery type) powered back light?

Gavin · 03-11-2009 09:04PM

TK11 for your helmet. Magicshine on the bars. Dealextreme for battery and chargers. Avoid the Fenix 360 bike mounts, they don't handle a battering very well. I went over the bars, torch got hit and the mount broke. The plastic is brittle. I have ziptied the lockblocks onto the mtb and it works well.

Also ziptied a lockblock onto the fork and have a dealextreme p7 torch mounted on it. Very useful for throwing out light at a nice low height, helps to avoid fog.

blorg · 03-11-2009 09:09PM

Do you have a Magicshine yet Gavin? If so would you rate it above the P7 torch? I mean to get one myself but the new "5 mode" one looks more appealing if I can source it.

BikePure · 03-11-2009 09:10PM

Alright thanks to every one who helped, I have a new light setup layed out in my mind now as a result. Hopefully I do find a way of persuading myself that I actually do need it and will use it. Basically exactly what blorg and gavin have said, except for the P7 on the fork! Thanks again, case closed!

martyc5674 · 03-11-2009 09:15PM

Where can i get a lockblock?(searched deal extreme and wiggle)
Cheers,
Marty.

BikePure · 03-11-2009 09:26PM

blorg wrote: »

Do you have a Magicshine yet Gavin? If so would you rate it above the P7 torch? I mean to get one myself but the new "5 mode" one looks more appealing if I can source it.

Let me know if you can source one cheap as it looks good alright for the price...was looking at the P7 too after Gavin mentioned it and it actually seems very good value too but I doubt it can live up to the claims of 900 lumens! However there seems to be 20 or 30 similar lights on DX under the title P7...is there one that is the best or one that is the real one and the rest are copies or something? All around the same price, but wouldn't know which to go for, which one of them are ye looking at?

BikePure · 03-11-2009 09:27PM

martyc5674 wrote: »

Where can i get a lockblock?(searched deal extreme and wiggle)
Cheers,
Marty.

Second item on this page: http://thephotonshop.co.uk/page64.htm

Gavin · 03-11-2009 09:56PM

blorg wrote: »

Do you have a Magicshine yet Gavin? If so would you rate it above the P7 torch? I mean to get one myself but the new "5 mode" one looks more appealing if I can source it.

No, still in the post ! According to the mtbr forums, the various issues with the magicshine lights have been fixed in the dealextreme and geoman versions. I don't know if the dealextreme versions have the 5 mode option now as well, each shipment seems to have slight upgrades. To definitely get the 5 mode, Geoman seems to be the best bet, although more expensive.

blorg · 03-11-2009 09:58PM

As Bikepure suggets I got mine from the Photon Shop at the same time as the light. You can also get them from here.

DX have a cheap one that is functionally identical and would work on helmets or indeed tribars but not on normal bars as it is not 90 degrees.

They also have this no word on how well it works though.

BikePure · 04-11-2009 12:52AM

Does the Magicshine include the battery pack and mounting accesories? All it says is that it is powered by a separate rechargeable battery pack (4 x 18650 lithium batteries inside) and that there is a 100V~240V AC charger (US plug) and pouch included. Are the batteries/battery pack as well as handlebar mounts all extra and need to be purchased separately?

Turbulent Bill · 04-11-2009 11:38AM

blorg wrote: »

From what I have read on forums when making my own mind up Lockblocks are better than the Fenix mount. I only have experience of Lockblocks mind.

I've both of these mounts, and the Lockblock is definitely better. The rubber mount gives some vibration damping and it fits on oversize bars. The Fenix mount rattles a bit and won't fit on oversize bars, so is a no-no for most current road bikes. Both are secure and easy to use.

The only reason I can think of to get a Fenix mount is where the bars are curved (like on an MTB), as you can (coarsely) pan one section of the mount to keep the light pointing straight ahead. The Lockblock can only mount the light perpendicular to the bars.

Lumen · 04-11-2009 11:44AM

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

The Lockblock can only mount the light perpendicular to the bars.

You can get both types - parallel and perpendicular. I have both - I experimented for a while with mounting a torch on the side of the top-tube to give steering-independent illumination like most cars have.

Turbulent Bill · 04-11-2009 12:19PM

Lumen wrote: »

You can get both types - parallel and perpendicular. I have both - I experimented for a while with mounting a torch on the side of the top-tube to give steering-independent illumination like most cars have.

Sorry Lumen, I know you can get both types, but that wasn't what I was getting at. The perpendicular Lockblock will always mount the torch perpendicular to the mounting point on the bars, but this mightn't be parallel to the stem (and direction of travel). Think of MTB bars which curve from the stem clamp - if you mount the Lockblock on the curved bits, the torch will point left or right rather than straight ahead. There's a very easy way of explaining this which is escaping me...

How did the top-tube mounting work out?

Gavin · 04-11-2009 03:06PM

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

How did the top-tube mounting work out?

I have also gone for a Top Tube Mounted Torch (TTMT). It works quite well actually ! Be nice to get a little bit more angle down for when on dark roads, but in the city it's fine.

72hundred · 05-11-2009 05:13PM

Just got the first package from CRC. 10 tubes and the Blackburn 4.0

First its just phenomenally bright! I mean like it burns the eye when looking at it under 10 feet. The side lights add a little but the power house is the 1watt central red light. Brilliant purchase and happy out with it. Plan on adding one of the 1/2 SMART's to the right seat stay as the left would be covered by the pannier bag. Should be enough me thinks!

BikePure · 05-11-2009 05:21PM

BikePure wrote: »

Does the Magicshine include the battery pack and mounting accesories? All it says is that it is powered by a separate rechargeable battery pack (4 x 18650 lithium batteries inside) and that there is a 100V~240V AC charger (US plug) and pouch included. Are the batteries/battery pack as well as handlebar mounts all extra and need to be purchased separately?

Well does it? And has anyone got caught for Import Duties and VAT when buying it off DealExtreme (is DX U.S. based or Hong Kong/China or does it even matter when it comes to customs?). Blorg, do let me know if you find that new "improved" 5 mode MagicShine as it does sound slightly more appealing! And also, one more question are the stock batteries supplied with the Fenix TK11 just standard non-rechargables - low quality I would suspect are they...would they be OK to use until the DX ones arrive if I decide to go for it?

blorg · 05-11-2009 05:35PM

Everything I have read suggests the Magicshine box includes everything you need.

I have never been caught for tax buying from DX but you could be unlucky. DX is Hong Kong but all that customs care is whether something is coming from outside the EU, US or HK makes no difference.

The stock batteries with the TK11 are a pair of CR123A lithium batteries, non rechargable. They are fine to use but you will only get 1.5 hours out of them in high, I think you will get 12 in standard so best leave it on that until you get the 18650s.

Home:Ballyhoura · 24-11-2009 06:12PM

blorg wrote: »

Spare seat stay mount - also useful is a rear rack mount, if you have a rack that is the single best place to put the light.

I ordered the spare seat stay mount but it actually doesn't work! Slightly different bracket to the popular smart 1/2 watt...I just read there it is for the Smart 3 LED...a different light altogether! Anyway, it's only €2 so I don't mind...couldn't be bothered sending it back so if anyone wants it...just let me know! Cheers

BUYING TONIGHT: Is there a 18650 (battery type) powered back light?

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