Dual Fenix P3D Premium - NICE

[acroy]

$135
430 lumens
2hr runtime

I was spoiled by a 25w halogen for a few years. but lack of reliability (burned bulbs, batteries), weight, complexity, got to me finally.

the dual setup works great. Not quite as much light as the 25w Halogen but close. PLENTY of light for as fast as I can go....

Oncoming cars think I'm a motorcycle :D

i like the fact i can turn them down to Hi and run for almost 5 hrs at 240lumens!

I like so far.

[oso]

Great combo, it is what I run. Compact and lightweight, but with the option/advantage of using them as flashlights when the mood strikes.

Pair them up with a P3D or P2D on the helmet for increased visibility.

[diesel_dad]

Cool. What kind of batteries do you use? Have you tested the runtime?

[acroy]

I'm using the fancy AW 750mah batts as recommended by Fenix and their charger.

Runtime on Turbo is around 1.5hrs, still "conditioning" the batteries, runtime is slowly getting better. I keep a fresh set in my pack & swap out when the batteries quit.

Note: I've run into a bunch of folks saying "don't run on Turbo for more than x minutes.". Not true. They are 100% OK to run on Turbo the whole time as long as they don't get too hot to touch. Riding to work, they stay only very slightly warm.

Cheers

[socalrider]

The air cooling from riding your bike helps keep the p3d cool in turbo mode.. I also use a p3d but run mine in high mode and easily get 3+ hours of runtime with the aw rcr123's.. I use a p3d and and p2d on my helmet, nice and bright enough for most roads..

p3d's can be a tough fit if you are going to use rcr123's.. I would stick with the aw brand that is sold on the fenix website.. I have bought a couple of other brands and they are very tight fit..

[kboy25]

agreed with socalrider....use the aw rcr123's.
I'm thinking about getting the 600L as my main light...or the trindex. then using the p3d on my helmet.
then using the other p3d as a tail light with the red filter fenix sells.

[tarwheel]

Just curious -- why would the choose the P3D over the L2D? It seems like the brightness is only marginally better, but the rcr123 batteries are much harder to find than AAs. One thing I like about my L2D is that I can easily find spare AA batteries in just about any store if they go dead during a ride. I generally run my Fenix on the highest non-turbo mode, and the AA batteries last about 4 hours.

[acroy]

Just curious -- why would the choose the P3D over the L2D? It seems like the brightness is only marginally better, but the rcr123 batteries are much harder to find than AAs. One thing I like about my L2D is that I can easily find spare AA batteries in just about any store if they go dead during a ride. I generally run my Fenix on the highest non-turbo mode, and the AA batteries last about 4 hours.

it may not have been the best choice... But i wanted as much lite as I could get. I generally run on Turbo all the time and wanted BRIGHT, LED, without spending $400+.

2 l2d = 350lumen
2 p3d = 430 lumen, 23% more.

I was going to buy fancy batteries & charger dedicated for this lite setup anyway, so i figured why not go for the higher power.

the 123a's are harder to find locally, but easy online. I got 6 aw rcr123a's and carry a backup set of regular lithium cr123a's.

430lumen is a lot for a bike light. It's as much as a first-gen Lupine Wilma. About as much as a 20W halogen.

I've run them both on Hi, 240lumen total, and it is not enough to be comfortable. I ride pretty fast, 16+mph average, and like to see where I'm going.

Runtime has been okay - i'm not at 1.8hrs yet but the batts have only gone through 4-5 cycles so far.

If this setup does not work out, I'll sell the p3d's and grab 2 600L's.

I am totally sold on the dual lite source setup: much more respect from cagers!!

[MillCreek]

Just to check, are those mounted with a twofish?

[acroy]

Just to check, are those mounted with a twofish?

Yep!

[Zero_Enigma]

I'm using the fancy AW 750mah batts as recommended by Fenix and their charger.

Runtime on Turbo is around 1.5hrs, still "conditioning" the batteries, runtime is slowly getting better. I keep a fresh set in my pack & swap out when the batteries quit.

Note: I've run into a bunch of folks saying "don't run on Turbo for more than x minutes.". Not true. They are 100% OK to run on Turbo the whole time as long as they don't get too hot to touch. Riding to work, they stay only very slightly warm.

Cheers


What's the temp in Dallas, TX now? I'd like to hear if you have any issues in the dead heat of summer in the 90F and up range.

Perhaps right now it's cooler where you are so you're not running into issues.

[acroy]

i've run them from 30F to 85F... weather has varied a lot here ;)

they have never get anywhere near hot. I'm sure the story would change if there was no airflow.

next summer, we'll see if the story changes!!

[kboy25]

Just curious -- why would the choose the P3D over the L2D? It seems like the brightness is only marginally better, but the rcr123 batteries are much harder to find than AAs. One thing I like about my L2D is that I can easily find spare AA batteries in just about any store if they go dead during a ride. I generally run my Fenix on the highest non-turbo mode, and the AA batteries last about 4 hours.

I don't mind the rcr123 batteries as I carry a spare set for each light plus a set of primaries just in case. :) I used to run it on turbo, but decided to run it just on "high" to get better run times.

[acroy]

One thing I really really like about the dual flashlight setup is the flexibility, both in mounting and output. Both on the bars, one on the helmet, whatever.

anywhere from 2hrs on mega-hi, to 10hs at 240 lumen, to 26 hours (!) at a useable 110lumen!!

[Cody Broken]

I spent about $14 on a DIY halogen headlight, using my cordless drill batteries. It is not bad, but I spent too much time messing with it, and it still is not how I would like it. With more time and more money I could get it set up really well. Since I started it, I'm going to finish it (someday).

But here's the thing: I don't want to spend the time and money dinking around for a bike light.

I'm tired of spending hours struggling with DIY bike lights (even though I learn neat things).
I'm not willing to spend 100's of dollars for a light that is only meant to mount on my bicycle or helmet.

I said it on the commuter forum, but nobody seemed to agree:
with LED and battery technology that is available to today, flashlights (torches) are e economical and effective options for bicycle lighting.