Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - How are you liking your P7 flashlights?

This is what I have:

MTE "P7-D" SSC P7-C 5-Mode Memory 900-Lumen LED Flashlight

It switches all the time. It is ******** to sell this as a bike light and have it prone to switching modes.

It's not sold as a bike light. :rolleyes:

Try stretching the spring a bit to make a better contact.

Does anyone have pics of the beams?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Jam_Master_J/DSCF2458.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Jam_Master_J/DSCF2463.jpg

uncreative spare battery holder.
It'll fit in your pockets or slightly larger saddle bag.
corrective glass holder case.
won't pop open too easily, especially if you put a rubber band around it.
can also keep your cards in it.

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/LED%20lights/DSC02299.jpghttp://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/LED%20lights/DSC02300.jpg

The 16092 I got has only 5 modes and remembers the mode you were last in (I think). On a short test ride tonight, the cheapo DX handlebar mount worked beautifully and I had no problems with it changing modes. Sounds like we should be steering new buyers in the direction of the 5 mode 16092 instead of the 8 mode (12600?)?

Totally agree with everything in this post. I have had the 16092 for a few weeks now and love it, cheapo mount (8274) works great on two different bikes I have. I have a PB Blaze 1/2 Watt on my helmet and run the 16092 on medium. Both together work awesome and I just run the PB on flash mode when it is dusk to draw attention. On medium the batteries last about 3 hours. On high I was getting screamed at by fellow bikers and had a driver flash his high beams at me. Unless you are out in the boonies, medium should be fine.

Also got 5790 batteries (two sets) and the 6105 charger.

Totally agree with everything in this post. I have had the 16092 for a few weeks now and love it, cheapo mount (8274) works great on two different bikes I have. I have a PB Blaze 1/2 Watt on my helmet and run the 16092 on medium. Both together work awesome and I just run the PB on flash mode when it is dusk to draw attention. On medium the batteries last about 3 hours. On high I was getting screamed at by fellow bikers and had a driver flash his high beams at me. Unless you are out in the boonies, medium should be fine.

Also got 5790 batteries (two sets) and the 6105 charger.

++ on the five mode. The only difference in the P7 with the above is i use the 5776 batteries. All has been well since November coering 2300+ miles on chip seal, crack roads and everything else with more then half of it at night.
I rarely use high it mostly sits on medium. I did run it on high for almost an hour at the end of a brevet when a fellow rider had a really substandard light mounted in a bad position so I could light up the road for everyone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Jam_Master_J/DSCF2458.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Jam_Master_J/DSCF2463.jpg

Am I correct in assuming the picture is just with your two MTE's? If so, pretty good. I wonder what a 20 deg. reflector would look like... I was thinking about two of the new Deree DBS MC-E's at 400 lumens! for bike lights.

P7s aren't just for your bike! I took mine to Hawaii, where it came in very handy for exploring a long cave (lava tube) and for the treacherous night walk out to see the lava flows. I had a few people comment on how bright it was and one lady told me that her mom insisted that they walk close behind me because my P7 put out so much light!

I got my Trustfire 3 mode today and just got back from a night ride. Amazing is all I can say.

With the Vetta taillight and the Trustfire headlight, I feel it a great investment. I just order four Spokelits from NitIze and it is now time to learn about helmut mounted flashlights.

Thanks to all that have contributed to this discussion.

I got my Trustfire 3 mode today and just got back from a night ride. Amazing is all I can say.

With the Vetta taillight and the Trustfire headlight, I feel it a great investment. I just order four Spokelits from NitIze and it is now time to learn about helmut mounted flashlights.

Thanks to all that have contributed to this discussion.

I'll piggy-back on this thread to say that I have solved my mode-switching problem with the 8-mode. There have been two suggestions here. One was to fold up a piece of aluminum foil and put it between the spring and the battery, and the other was to attach small button magnet(s) to the back of the battery. I didn't have any magnets on hand so I tried the aluminum foil. It worked ok but sometimes when putting the cap back on, the foil would get off-center and touch the side--effectively bypassing the switch. Last week I went to Joanne's (a sewing/crafts store) a bought a a small pack of 3mmx12 mm button magnets. I use one on the back of the battery and it works great! You can get the same thing at Michaels. Problem solved. I do use the the strobe mode going home in daylight.

I'll piggy-back on this thread to say that I have solved my mode-switching problem with the 8-mode. There have been two suggestions here. One was to fold up a piece of aluminum foil and put it between the spring and the battery, and the other was to attach small button magnet(s) to the back of the battery. I didn't have any magnets on hand so I tried the aluminum foil. It worked ok but sometimes when putting the cap back on, the foil would get off-center and touch the side--effectively bypassing the switch. Last week I went to Joanne's (a sewing/crafts store) a bought a a small pack of 3mmx12 mm button magnets. I use one on the back of the battery and it works great! You can get the same thing at Michaels. Problem solved. I do use the the strobe mode going home in daylight.


+1
DX also has rare earth magnets for a couple of dollars that you can order at the same time you order your light. That's what I did, though I've been fortunate and not needed them with my 8 mode (SKU 13060) light which hasn't been mode switching at all when I ride, in spite of my riding on the war-torn, pot-hole-riddled streets of New Orleans.

This is what I've got, although I am still waiting for the mount.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13060
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13004

The light appears to be just what the doctor ordered and I look forward to getting it all set up. I believe the whole set-up cost me around $80.00

Just an update on this order that I placed on 11/17/08. The mount finally shipped a couple of days ago. Now that its light out longer I really do not need it, but I will be all set for next fall/winter.

It took them 3 1/2 months to ship you something??? Wow, that is a new low.

I reckon it took that long for my Fenix mount to arrive.

Nearly everything else has been delivered relatively quickly.

Just bought some of these:

http://www1.dealextreme.com/productimages/sku_20751_6.jpg

What is that green thingy? Is it sour apple flavored?

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20751

I'm new to lights and flashlights for bikes. You guys telling me there 900 Lumens per flashlight? :eek:

I will have to look into these things. Just bought a Cygolite with 255 lumens and seems very bright on the road.

I'm new to lights and flashlights for bikes. You guys telling me there 900 Lumens per flashlight? :eek:

I will have to look into these things. Just bought a Cygolite with 255 lumens and seems very bright on the road.

The bare emitter can be purchased seperately and DX rates these as 570-740 lumens. Probably more realistic.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11809

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20751

Why do you tell me about this stuff just after I place an order with DX? Now I have to wait. I just ordered one of these $10 rear lights a couple of days ago.

Why do you tell me about this stuff just after I place an order with DX? Now I have to wait. I just ordered one of these $10 rear lights a couple of days ago.

Sorry about that.

I hope you realised that they are available in other colours (blue, pink, green, white) ?

To be fair, you are allowed to browse the DX site and look at products yourself....

;)

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20751

Wow... I'm speechless...

Wow... I'm speechless...

Mine have arrived - and - they are even better than they look on the site.

:D

Sorry about that.

I hope you realised that they are available in other colours (blue, pink, green, white) ?

To be fair, you are allowed to browse the DX site and look at products yourself....

;)

Hey. Don't forget. I'M the one who alerted you all to the $10 rear lights.

Hey. Don't forget. I'M the one who alerted you all to the $10 rear lights.

Ok, ok...but the shoelaces had only just been added.

They are a new item.

Ok, ok...but the shoelaces had only just been added.

They are a new item.

Would they work in your spokes?

Would they work in your spokes?

Yep, or along the frame or around the carrier or even around your helmet.

They are quite bright and better construction than I expected.

:)

Mine have arrived - and - they are even better than they look on the site.

:D

Pics?

What do you folks think, can we revive this thread with some comments on how everybody is doing with their P7s?

The thread was started late 2008, I'd like to know after a year, who still has their P7 and how is it working. Something like a long-term review.

Thanks.

I have posted this previously; the modes on mine went nuts and I ended up bypassing the circuit board. It is now a single mode, high beam flashlight instead of an 8 mode light. I still like it. I do miss the low beam setting for use around the house or camp.

My DX MC-E light died after about eight months or so. I replaced it with another MC-E light from Shining Beam, which is still going strong and appears to be much higher quality.

I've got a P-7 and a Cree-something, both of which are working flawlessly. Had them for about a year.

I have an MTC P7 and it's going great after 18 months. Very happy with it. I don't need 8 modes but the intermittent strobe setting (3 fast flashes then pause) is good for daylight use. It's an ideal light for daytime use. You get noticed and I feel safer.

I did have to dismantle and re-seat the contact in the cap -- it was OK after that.

I just got an MTE SSC-P7-D last night, and ran with it this morning.

I previously avoided the flashlight route because they all listed 45 minutes runtime. So I bought a Magicshine setup with the 3 hour runtime. Then I realized that I only needed the full output on the washboarded/potholed gravel part of my ride, so I wouldn't need high the whole time. So I bought a P7 with a "medium" mode, and it's plenty even on the gravel parts of the ride.

My ride is about 48 minutes, I ran the whole thing on medium using a battery that I'd dinked around with for 5 minutes the night before, and left it outside overnight at 20*F for a worst-case scenario. After I got to work I left it to run on medium on my desk. It's been over 2 hours and it's still on, though it's dimming now. I think I probably got well over 2 hours on medium.

Anyone want to buy a Magicshine system? With a spare battery, even.

I did have to dismantle and re-seat the contact in the cap -- it was OK after that.

How do you dismantle that thing, seems fused shut to me (I have the same, and I don't get full output any longer - due to a poor contact)

Approx. 18 months, 3500 miles of commuting and weekend rides and my DX P7 5-mode is still working fine. I run high mode in the dark and fast strobe during daylight. It requires 2 button magnets on the back of the battery to prevent mode changes when going over bumps. I've had some problems with the 18650 batteries, though. Of the 6 gray ones I ordered with the light, two are totally dead now. I ordered 6 blue ones about 3 months ago and 2 of them seem to discharge twice as fast as the others - I'm guessing they aren't able to take a full charge. But for the price and performance, it's been a great product.

My DX MC-E light died after about eight months or so. I replaced it with another MC-E light from Shining Beam, which is still going strong and appears to be much higher quality.

I got an MC-E from Shining Beam. Side-by-side against my direct-wired P7, the Shining Beam is way whiter and brighter. I don't think it will run an hour in turbo mode, however.

^^^^^


Mine does with an AW 2600 battery. It pulls the same current as my DX MC-E did. Side by side it is brighter too as it has a higher bin emitter.

How do you dismantle that thing, seems fused shut to me (I have the same, and I don't get full output any longer - due to a poor contact)

Very carefully with pocket knife. The poor contact is probably the fused section you see. Wedge a knife between the circuit board and the heatsink and you should be able to pry it off. Similarly, my P7 went dim after a year of use. I reseated the board and it's fine for now (I have to re-solder the contacts though).

Haven't received mine yet, but this is one of the recommended setups:

DealExtreme: $42.96 MTE SSC P7 C-Bin 900-Lumen 8-Mode LED Flashlight (1*18650) (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13060) - Sku 13060
DealExtreme: $10.00 TrustFire Protected 18650 Lithium Battery (2500mAh 2-Pack Blue) (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790) - Sku 05790
DealExtreme: $8.44 Digital Li-Ion 18650 Battery Charger (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105) - Sku 06105
DealExtreme: $1.90 Universal Bicycle Mount (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8274) - Sku 08274

I just received this same package. Anyone have trouble with battery's Not fitting in charger? I practically had to force them down. Now no lights turn on on charger. Battery's have original charge when packaged. I wonder if i messed up the charger?:(

I just received this same package. Anyone have trouble with battery's Not fitting in charger? I practically had to force them down. Now no lights turn on on charger. Battery's have original charge when packaged. I wonder if i messed up the charger?:(

Oops No I have this charger: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1251

Oops No I have this charger: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1251

I have that charger and don't like it. I'm probably just going to throw it away, or maybe keep it for weird sized batteries I might have to charge in the future.

I also have the sku 06105 and it's good, I'll probably be buying another for at work.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12060

all in all its been a great light, but disapointed it died and i don't have the know how to fix or replace parts. i spent 42 dollars on it, had to replace the glass lenses/cover. the light lived in my backpack with a Q5 and a red wf-502. the bag would get tossed around, never really dropped or anything. i think the smoldering got lose after 2k miles of riding. majority of the time it was acquitted and even to much light on medium. thought at times i wish the high mode was brighter, but this wasn't to often. battery life was pretty good, my q5 would always die first even thought i had it flashing twice per second on 14500 batteries. general my q5 would give 1-1.5hours and p7 ~3-3.5hours on med or ~1hour on high.

now with it dead, i face a problem. buy another p7, is so which modle, should i get a super long one with 2 batteries, or even 3 batteries. or maybe magic shine. i like the p7 because it takes 1 second to mount and 1 second to dismount. the magic shine seems cumbersome and time consuming and with leaving my bike at the rack for hours in a low crime area i won't lights on the bike ever. i'm guessing i'll be buying another p7.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12060

all in all its been a great light, but disapointed it died and i don't have the know how to fix or replace parts. i spent 42 dollars on it, had to replace the glass lenses/cover. the light lived in my backpack with a Q5 and a red wf-502. the bag would get tossed around, never really dropped or anything. i think the smoldering got lose after 2k miles of riding. majority of the time it was acquitted and even to much light on medium. thought at times i wish the high mode was brighter, but this wasn't to often. battery life was pretty good, my q5 would always die first even thought i had it flashing twice per second on 14500 batteries. general my q5 would give 1-1.5hours and p7 ~3-3.5hours on med or ~1hour on high.

now with it dead, i face a problem. buy another p7, is so which modle, should i get a super long one with 2 batteries, or even 3 batteries. or maybe magic shine. i like the p7 because it takes 1 second to mount and 1 second to dismount. the magic shine seems cumbersome and time consuming and with leaving my bike at the rack for hours in a low crime area i won't lights on the bike ever. i'm guessing i'll be buying another p7.
If you can wait a few weeks Shining Beam is coming out with an SST-50 light that will have similar run-times to a P7 but will be noticeably brighter.

My P7 (16092 I think) died after about three months of daily commuting. It comes up much dimmer than it should be, and if I shake it I get flashes of full brightness. I need to take it apart and see if I can fix it, but I'm wary of ever relying on it again - I do not need my headlight shutting off halfway through a 25mph underpass descent.

Since I now have a set of 18650 batteries, I'm thinking about upgrading to a Fenix TK11 to complement the L2D that I'm currently using for a headlight.

Approx. 18 months, 3500 miles of commuting and weekend rides and my DX P7 5-mode is still working fine. I run high mode in the dark and fast strobe during daylight. It requires 2 button magnets on the back of the battery to prevent mode changes when going over bumps. I've had some problems with the 18650 batteries, though. Of the 6 gray ones I ordered with the light, two are totally dead now. I ordered 6 blue ones about 3 months ago and 2 of them seem to discharge twice as fast as the others - I'm guessing they aren't able to take a full charge. But for the price and performance, it's been a great product.

Joe4702, can you provide any more detail about what you did with the "button magnets"--what are button magnets? where did you put them exactly? I'm having a similar problem (and actually started a thread about it the other day).

Thanks!

macdonwald im in the same situation. joe4702 yes please what did you do with these "button magnets"?

If you can wait a few weeks Shining Beam is coming out with an SST-50 light that will have similar run-times to a P7 but will be noticeably brighter.

wow I guess I missed this one, someone coming out with a phlatlight finally.. do you know the specs?

wow I guess I missed this one, someone coming out with a phlatlight finally.. do you know the specs?

Same current draw as the PLI MC-E and a slightly larger reflector for better throw. There's more info on it over in the PLI MC-E thread at CPFMP.

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=194757&page=16

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.06105 Digital Li-Ion 18650 Battery Charger
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12000 Universal Nylon Mount for Flashlights and Lasers
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15335 TrustFire TR-801 Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode Memory 230-Lumen LED Flashlight
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15642 Universal Bicycle Mount for Flashlights and Gadgets (2cm~3cm Diameter Adjustable)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22567 MTE SF-15 SSC P7-D-SXO 4-Mode Memory 900-Lumen LED Flashlight

I have the P7 on the bars along with the Trustfire. I also have another
Trustfire on the helmet. The Trustfires are more throw and I can easily light
up the a good way down the road to avoid glass, etc. The P7 is bright but
rather floody.

Most of my commute is on city streets which have light. A short part of my
ride is on a trail which has no lights and is dark.

I've had these for four months with no problems.

After reading the horror stories on CandlePowerForums, I would NEVER EVER
leave lithium-ion batteries charging unattended, even with a high end charger.